Goodbye Means Forgetting
by deadly sorrow
Summary: He'd waited twenty-eight years to find her again. And nothing, not even some Curse, was going to stand in the way of getting her back. Rewrite of Peter Pan/OC story 'Say You'll Remember'.
1. Pilot

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot and any unrecognizable characters and dialogue.**

**So I hope you're all as excited as I am about this rewrite of 'Say You'll Remember'. Going along with the wishes of several reviewers, I'm keeping up the original story and am going to simply make a new one for the rewrite.**

**The original was in first-person, something I found easy to write, but I decided that I wanted practice writing in third. So, hence why this will be in third-person, though it will be very Lily centric.**

**So! I'll stop blabbering and let you get to the story. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><em>"Never say goodbye,<em>

_ because goodbye means going away,_

_ and going away means forgetting." _

_-J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan._

* * *

><p><em>Lily dismounted her horse when Charming nearly jumped off his. Eyes wide, he sprinted towards the coffin surrounded by seven dwarves. She walked forward but held back, aware that all she'd do was intrude on their sorrow. She frowned heavily, the feeling of pain and loss making her sick to her stomach.<em>

_"You're too late." _

_Lily closed her eyes when Charming's despair slammed into her, adding to the sorrow coming off the others as well. Gritting her teeth, she moved forward as Charming reached for the glass lid._

_"No, no!" He responded brokenly, gently touching the lid of the coffin and staring at Snow White's face. He looked up at the dwarves. "Open it."_

_The burly looking one with dark hair glared at the prince sadly. "I'm sorry, she's gone." _

_Charming looked at them helplessly, his voice soft as he looked back down at his love. Lily remained silent with her hood up, aware that they might not react positively to her presence. As three of the dwarfs glanced at each other and shrugged at the prince's request, Lily smiled softly, aware of how to break this particular curse._

_The dwarves removed the lid with a loud thunk and as Charming began to gaze down at his beloved, Lilith took yet another step forward._

_Ignoring the looks she garnered from the dwarves, she focused on Charming. "Kiss her." Wide-eyed, he looked at her and nodded slightly when Lilith repeated her command, firmer than before. "Kiss her, Charming."_

_He leaned forward and gently pressed his lips against Snow's and, to Lilith's satisfaction, a soft gold ring expanded from their lips with a soft whoosh and a light breeze picked up, causing all the dwarves to look around in surprise. Lilith looked back at the princess and smiled when her eyes fluttered open with a soft gasp._

_Panting lightly, Snow White looked around and when her gaze landed on Charming, she smiled softly._ "_You." She whispered. He nodded and she reached up, placing a hand on his cheek. "You found me."_

_"Did you ever doubt I would?" He teased, placing a hand on her lower back to help her into a sitting position. Snow White smiled softly and looked around, her hand still cradling his face._

_"Truthfully-the glass coffin gave me pause." _

_Charming smiled brightly and shook his head, his voice warm. "Well, you don't have to worry. I will always find you." _

_Snow White smiled warmly at him, her voice soft and hopeful._ _"Do you promise?" _

_He nodded once._

_"I do."_

* * *

><p><em>"And do you, Snow White, promise to take this make to be your husband and love him for all eternity?" The Bishop asked, his voice ringing throughout the packed hall.<em>

_Lilith smiled faintly at the couple, holding back the grin that threatened to overtake her features when Doc nudged her as Snow answered._

_"I do."_

_"I now pronounce you husband, and wife." _

_Lilith rolled my eyes as they kissed fiercely, their love clear. Ignoring the pain it brought to her chest, she chuckled softly when one of the other dwarves elbowed Grumpy, who grunted at him but began to clap with everyone else. The couple turned to their subjects, who were still cheering wildly, though the noise died down immediately when the doors banged open._

_Lilith turned, somehow not surprised to see the Evil Queen standing in the doorway, her red lips set in a smirk._

_"Sorry I'm late." She waltzed forward, uncaring as the people cowered away from her, and when two guards tried to charge her, she simply waved her hand and they disappeared in a puff of smoke. ._

_"It's the Queen, run!" Doc hissed frantically, making Lilith roll her eyes. She was still unsure as to why they were so afraid of Regina. Snow, it seemed, was thinking along the same lines as she glared hatefully at her step-mother, grabbed her husband's sword, and pointed it at Regina._

_"She's not a queen anymore. She's nothing more than an evil witch!" Snow snapped out heatedly as Charming attempted to wrestle his sword from his wife's grasp._

_"No, no, no. Don't stoop to her level, there's no need." Charming said in an attempt to placate his pissed off wife. After managing to retrieve his sword from Snow, he turned to face Regina. "You're wasting your time, you've already lost." His voice hardened as Lilith and the Dwarves stepped closer to the dias. "And I will _not_ let you ruin this wedding." Charming swore, his white-knuckled grip on the sword's hilt._

_Regina simply smiled serenely the entire time, her eyes burning with hate._ _"Oh, I haven't come here to ruin anything." Lilith snorted, drawing Regina's attention, though she simply sneered at the Queen. Regina narrowed her eyes before she dismissed Lilith, her upper lip curling as she turned her attention back to Charming. "On the contrary, dear, I've come to give you a gift."_

_"We want nothing from you-" Snow started, only for Regina to raise her voice._

_"But you shall have it." A smirk twisted up Regina's lips and Lilith ignored the churning in her gut. _This was part of the plan_, she chanted mentally. _This is all to get Bae back_. "My gift to you," Regina waved her hand around airily. "Is this happy, happy day." She paced in front of the dias, still smiling. "For tomorrow, my real work begins." She pointed at her step-daughter and Charming. "You made your vows, now I make mine."_

_Wary now, Lilith stared at her, aware that she hadn't come all this way, to where she was banished, just to gloat. "Come now, Regina." She spat out coldly. "You can't have come all this way to just gloat." Regina's heated gaze flickered to Lilith and she kept her face blank as she spoke harshly. "Or would you like me to kill you this time?"_

_Regina sneered at Lilith before turning back to the married couple._ _"Soon, everything you love, everything all of you love," she gestured to the entire room and Lilith felt her eyes widen despite herself. "Will be taken from you, forever. And out of your suffering will rise my victory." _

_Regina stalked closer to Snow and Charming, forcing Lilith to dig her fingers into Grumpy's arm when he made to charge the Queen. "Don't!" She hissed softly and glared back at the disgruntled dwarf before they returned my attention to Regina._

_"I shall destroy your happiness, if it is the last thing I do." She announced loudly, an odd note of triumph in her voice. With that, she spun on her heel and began to strut back to the doors._

_"Hey!" Charming shouted and Regina whirled around just as he threw his sword straight at her. Unsurprisingly, Regina simply vanished in a cloud of purple smoke, taking the sword with her._

_As silence reigned throughout the hall, Lilith sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose as Snow and Charming held each other tightly._

_"What a way to celebrate a wedding."_

* * *

><p>"Lillian!"<p>

The teen turned around, wincing when she saw a terrified Regina stalking across the street. Lillian raised an eyebrow but said nothing, inwardly hoping that Regina wouldn't break a heel and need help to the hospital.

"Yes, Madame Mayor?" Lillian asked softly, arching a brow at Regina when she reached her side.

She glared at her son's baby-sitter, panting softly for several moments before she sucked in a breath and spoke. "Why isn't Henry at home like he's supposed to be?"

Lillian blinked at her accusing tone and replied with a frigid one of her own. "He told me this morning that you would be getting him off the bus this afternoon, that you had taken a half-day today." Regina's face fell at her words and, in response to the panic that flashed across her pale face, Lillian softened her voice. "Regina, you don't think he-"

"He ran away." She whispered brokenly and Lillian blinked at the miserable words. Before Regina could react, Lillian turned around, throwing a reply over her shoulder as panic gripped her insides tightly.

"I'll talk to Gold and then I'll head to Henry's favorite spots." She lowered her voice even more at the sight of Regina's anguished expression. "We'll find him, Regina."

With that, Lillian turned on her heel and stalked across the street to the Pawn Shop, hoping that Gold would be able to help them track down Henry.

* * *

><p><em>"Lilith!" She turned around and raised an eyebrow at the sight of Charming and pregnant Snow clad in plain, rough-spun brown cloaks.<em>

_"What-"_

_"We're going to visit him," he continued, ignoring Lilith's stunned eyes. "And we need you to come with us, for protection."_

_Unable to respond, Lilith nodded once and pulled the hood of her cloak over her head. She glanced at a worried looking Snow but didn't comment on the fact that Charming seemed rather upset with his pregnant bride._

_"Let's not waste any time then."_

_"When we reach the cell, stay out of the light and whatever you do, do not let him know your name." The guard ranted as they walked through the mines. Lilith rolled her eyes at his paranoia, though she had to admit it was justified. As he lead them down the stairs and into the dimly lit room, he turned to look at them. "If he knows your name, he will have power over you." He walked ahead of them, his voice harsh as he called out,"Rumpelstiltskin. Rumpelstiltskin! I have a question for you!" _

_Lilith held in a smile of amusement when she caught sight of a form nimbly jump through the cell, accompanied by a trilling laugh and voice._

_"No, you don't! _They_ do..." He pressed his face against the bars and Lilith smirked lightly at her mentor, his attention flitting to her for a brief second. "Snow White...and," he smirked when he said Charming's name. "Prince _Charming_." He mocked before glancing at the silent teen again, his golden eyes glinting in the dim light. "And Lilith is here as well! This is a party, isn't it?"_

_I nodded my head once as he looked at the others and laughed madly. "You insult me! Step into the light and take off those ridiculous robes!" _

_After sending a quick, cursory glance at Lilith, which she nodded to, the couple followed Rumple's instruction and pulled their hoods down._

_"Ah." He cackled lightly, his face twisted with glee. "That's much better." _

_Charming stepped forward, nearly shielding his wife and Lilith smiled secretly when she felt the irritation coming off both Snow and Rumple at the prince's actions."We've come to ask you about the-"_

_"Yes, yes! I know why you're here!" He spat gruffly, pressing his face between the bars again, his attention directed solely on Snow. "You want to know about the Queen's threat."_

_"Tell us what you know." Snow asked tersely, making Rumple smile widely._

_"Oh, tense, aren't we?" His smile widened when her face tightened and Lilith frowned darkly at him. "Fear not! For I can ease your mind!"_

_"Don't tease her, Rumple." Lilith scolded, making him smile cheekily at his student._

_"I wouldn't dream of it, dear Lilith!" He cooed softly before he looked away from her. Lilith rolled her eyes as he returned his attention to the expectant looking princess. "But, it's gonna cost you something in return, dear Snow."_

_"No! This is a waste of time-" _

_"What do you want?" Snow asked, cutting over her husband's irritated words._

_Rumple's face nearly split with glee, which Lilith eyed with some concern."Oh, the name of your unborn child." _

_When Charming spat hatefully at Rumple, his student agreed with the Prince, knowing exactly how precious a name was._ _"Absolutely not!_

_"Deal!" Snow agreed quickly, making Lilith whip her head around so fast it was a wonder she didn't do damage to it. "What do you know?"_

_Rumple gripped the bars, his face filled with far too much glee for my liking."Oh," he chuckled lightly, as if telling a joke instead of the possible destruction of everyone. "The Queen has created a powerful curse and it's coming. Soon, you'll all be in prison, just like me." His voice darkened and Lilith avoided eye contact with Snow and Charming. "For your prison, and of our prisons, will be time. For time will stop, and we will be trapped someplace horrible, where everything we hold dear, everything we love, will be ripped from us." His voice grew gruff as he continued, hysteria practically dripping from him. "While we suffer, for all eternity, while the Queen celebrates," He waved a hand, his words went higher and he sounded absolutely mad. "Victory, at last!"_

_Quietly, Lilith finished his rant, her words quiet and despondent compared to his delighted tone."No more happy endings." _

_Snow glanced from Lilith to Rumple, her voice wary._ _"What can we do?" _

_Rumple nearly cackled again, his expression lifting."_We_ can't do anything." _

_"Who can?" Snow asked, moving closer to the cage despite Charming's hand on her arm._

_"That little thing growing inside your belly." _

_Lilith reacted when Rumple extended his hand down towards Snow's protruding belly, though she was grateful when Charming beat her to it. He unsheathed his dagger and violently brought the hilt down on Rumple's hand._

_"Next time I cut if off." Charming hissed out harshly. Rumple made a noise of protest and snapped his hand back to his side, glaring silently at the prince before he tsked softly._

_"The infant if our only hope. Get the child to safety," he returned his attention to Snow, his eyes glinting madly. "Get the child to safety and on its...twenty-eigth birthday, the child will return." Lilith glanced at Snow's pained face while Rumple continued. "The child will find you and the final battle will begin!" He cackled madly at that, which prompted Charming to react._

_"I've heard enough, we're leaving!" He gripped Snow's arm and this time, she didn't fight him when he steered her the other way, calling to me. "Lilith, come on." _

_The sorceress nodded, eager to get away from Rumple as he seemed far more unhinged than usual, which was saying a lot. As Rumple continued to cackle behind them, Lilith stiffened when his laughter turned into angry shouts._

_"Hey! You! We made a deal!" He shouted angrily, jumping at the bars keeping him caged. She stopped, along with Snow as he continued to yell, his voice desperate. "I want her name! We had a deal, I need her name! H-h-her name!" _

_Charming turned, frowning darkly at the mad man in the cage. "Her? It's a boy."_

_Completely ignoring the prince, Rumple cooed at Snow."Missy, Missy. You know I'm right. Tell me her name." Slowly, Snow turned around, her voice defiant._

_"Emma."_

* * *

><p>"Where could he be?!" Lillian shared a glance with Graham but said nothing as Regina continued to anxiously pace around the phone, pulling at her short hair.<p>

"I'm sure he's fine, Regina. How far could he have gone?" He asked, only to for Regina's pacing to pick up furiously.

Lillian sent Graham and irritated look, elbowing him in the ribs when he passed her. "Was that supposed to help?!" She hissed sharply.

"Yes...?" He paused and looked back at Regina before he began to shake his head.

"Good job, Sheriff." Lillian huffed when he moved forward, attempting to make the nearly hysterical woman sit down while ordering the teen to go and find the alcohol.

Lillian rolled her eyes but did as he said, suddenly wishing that she was old enough to drink some of the amber liquid. Graham peeked his head around the door, his expression anxious as Regina continued to rant loudly.

"This is gonna be a long night."

* * *

><p><em>"I say we fight!" Charming thumped his fist on the table, making Lilith share an amused look with Grumpy. Both, however, said nothing, content to simply watch the prince fume and rant as his wife despondently sat at his side.<em>

_"Fighting is a bad idea." Jiminy chirped out from beneath his magnifying glass._

_Lilith glanced at him in irritation, still not sure why they took the advice of a bug. Clearly, Charming agreed with her for once as he glared down at the cricket._

_"And how many wars has a clear conscious won?" He asked sardonically and when Jiminy offered no argument, Charming looked around at the rest of them. "We need to take the Queen out, before she can inflict her curse."_

_"Can we even trust Rumpelstiltskin?" Lilith glanced at Doc, biting back a scathing retort._

_"I've sent my men into the forest, the animals are abuzz with the Queen's plan." Charming's face lost its fierceness. "This is going to happen unless we do something."_

_"There's no point. The future is written." Snow whispered softly, hands clasped over he belly protectively. Lilith shared a worried look with Red as they took in her slouching and depressed aura. _

_Charming leaned down to her, softening his voice ever so slightly._ _"No, I refuse to believe that. Evil can't just win." _

_"Maybe it can." Snow finally looked up from her lap, her eyes fierce as she regarded her husband._

_He leaned closer and Lilith resisted the urge to groan into her hands. She smirked at Grumpy when he made a soft, disgusted noise in the back of his throat._

_"No, not as long as we have each other. If you believe him about the curse, then you believe him about our child." Snow, who looked like she was going to smack her husband, glanced at the dark-haired sorceress in their midst. "She will be the Savior."_

_"What do you think, Lilith? You know Rumpelstiltskin's powers better than anyone." _

_Lilith kept her eyes locked with Snow's as she spoke, aware of the eyes of everyone else. "His powers of precognition are powerful, but even he can't see every piece of the puzzle. Even still, if he says it is to happen," she sighed deeply. Even knowing about it beforehand, the curse scared her just as much as it did them. "It will happen."_

_Charming's most likely scathing retort was cut off by the door banging open, causing us all to turn towards the sound as Blue Fairy flew in, followed by guards dragging in what looked to be...a tree._

_"What the hell is this?"_

_"Our only hope of saving that child." She announced in that light, annoying voice of hers. Lilith eyed the tree, already able to feel the magic pulsing through it._

_Grumpy sneered derisively._ _"A tree? Our fate rests on a tree?" He turned back to Charming, face screwed up in displeasure. "Let's get back to the fighting thing."_

_"The tree in enchanted." Blue hovered to Charming. "If fashioned into a vessel, it can ward off any curse." She turned towards the elderly man seated across from Lilith. "Geppetto, can you build such a thing?"_

_The carpenter nodded, gently patting his son on the head. "Me and my boy-we can do it." _

_Blue nodded and turned back towards Charming and a now hopeful looking Snow. "This will work, we all must have faith." _

_"I sense a 'but' coming." Lilith said quietly, narrowing her eyes up at the sparkling fairy._

_Blue looked down at her, barely containing a sneer of distaste before she nodded. Turning back to the royals as Snow grabbed Charming's hand tightly, Blue continued. "Lilith is right. There is a catch: the enchantment is indeed powerful, but all power has its limits. And this tree can only protect one."_

_Lilith looked around, her eyes zeroing in on Snow's now ashen face as she stared at the fairy._

* * *

><p>Lillian blinked at the sound of voices and looked at Regina, who practically leapt from her seat and flew to the door. Graham sighed with relief and followed the teen when Lillian took off after Regina.<p>

"Henry!" Regina slammed the door open and raced down the sidewalk, her voice cracking. "Oh, Henry!" She clutched him tightly, cupping his face when she pulled back. "Oh, are you okay? Where have you been?"

"Henry!" Lillian said, her eyes widening when he pushed away from his mother.

"I found my _real _mom!" Henry snapped out petulantly before he turned and pushed past the his baby-sitter and Graham, leaving the two to stare after him in shock.

"Y-you're Henry's birth mother?" Regina sputtered out, Lillian taking the cue to slowly begin to back away from the awkward scene before her.

"Hi..." The blonde said weakly, not even attempting to smile.

Lillian glanced at Regina, her voice hesitant. "I'll..." She glanced back at the blonde, now knowing that this was his birth mother. "I'll go check on him."

"Was that his sister?"

Lillian heard the woman ask as she brushed past Graham, who looked extremely uncomfortable with the entire situation.

"No, his baby-sitter."

"His baby-sitter is British?"

Lillian tuned out the fading voices and knocked on Henry's door softly. "Henry?" He didn't respond so, taking that as she wasn't about to be attacked, she slipped into the room quietly to see Henry sulking on his bed.

"Henry? Why did you go and find your birth mom?" She asked gently, frowning when he only shrugged and flipped through the pages of his book. "Oh." She whispered, realization washing over her as he nodded without looking up from the book. "Henry, look at me."

He obliged, his lips set in a pout as his dark eyes shined with tears. Lillian reached forward, tugging him into her embrace. Henry clutched her back, his little body trembling before he pulled back with a short sniffle.

"I know you think I don't believe you." He looked down at her whisper but she pushed on. "But I'm _trying_, Henry. I promise."

He nodded once, finally looking up from his book. "I know, sis." Looking up with a forced smile, he attempt to sound cheerful. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow." Lillian nodded, kneeling on the bed to kiss him on the forehead before she turned and left the room. Passing an awkward looking Graham, she rolled her eyes at him before going to Regina's office, hanging awkwardly in the doorway.

"Regina?" Lillian leaned against the frame and waited for Regina to glance away from the blonde with an expectant look. "I need to be getting back to Granny's, if that's alright."

Regina nodded, smiling gently at Lillian while she gave the blonde another appraising look. "Yes, just make sure that you're here tomorrow to take Henry to the bus stop and," the teen inwardly rolled her eyes at the scolding tone. "Next time, ask me if you're not supposed to get him off the bus."

Lillian nodded and turned around with a short wave of goodbye. Quickly exiting the house, she headed down the street towards the Diner, belatedly wondering exactly when the last time an outsider had come into Storybrooke.

* * *

><p><em>Lilith sprinted through the halls, letting out a curse of frustration when several Black Knights came around the corner. Spinning her hands around, vines shot out of the walls and floors, wrapping tightly around the now struggling knights.<em>

_"Lilith!" Charming's voice came from behind her. She turned around to see him clutching a baby in his arms and blanched._

_"She already gave birth!" Lilith shouted over the roaring of the Curse, racing forward to quickly dispose of the knights that charged him. After sending them flying into the walls and keeping them there with vines, she turned to the panting man. "Is that Emma?" She asked softly, eyeing the small baby._

_He nodded before he turned and began to run down the hallway. "I have to get her to the tree!"_

_With a nod, Lilith spun on her heel and sprinted the opposite way, taking out any knights she happened upon. As another particularly loud rumble shook the castle, Lilith finally waved her hand and transported herself from the castle._

_"Rumple!" She called as she reappeared before the cell. He obligingly stepped into the dim light, his eyes alight with a madness that she hadn't seen in years. "It's happening."_

_He nodded rapidly, a trilling laugh escaping his throat. "Of course it is!"_

_Swallowing as doubt began to cloud in her mind, Lilith stepped forward and placed her hands over Rumple's._

_"Are you sure this will work?"_

_"My dear apprentice," Rumple cooed softly, sanity briefly flickering in his amber gaze. "Of course it shall."_

* * *

><p>When her phone buzzed for the fifth time in a row, Mr. Gold finally deigned to react. Raising an eyebrow at his assistant, Gold cleared his throat pointedly.<p>

"Going to answer that, Lillian?" He asked flatly as the teen continued to painstakingly re-thread the beads on the necklace she held. "Or would you like me to toss it into the harbor?"

With an annoyed sigh, she placed the unfinished necklace back in the velvet case and stood. She crossed the room, avoiding Gold's playful swing with his cane, and picked up the phone with a grimace.

"It's Regina." She hissed out before answering the still humming device. "Hello?" She winced when Regina's shrill voice met her ear. "No, he's not with me. I haven't seen him since I took him to the bus stop." She listened while trying not to cringe, as Regina babbled about how worried she was for her MIA son. "Regina!" Lillian finally snapped. "Meet me at the station and we'll ask Graham for help."

Quickly ending the call, Lillian sent a sheepish frown to her cross looking employer. With an exaggerated sigh, Gold simply waved his hand in a shooing motion.

"Oh, go on, dear." He pursed his lips at the amount of antiques waiting to be restored on the table. "I'll manage."

With a nod, Lillian spun on her heel and left the back room, grabbing her coat before she left the Pawn Shop. Frowning as she raced down the sidewalk, she inwardly lamented about not having a car for what felt like the millionth time. She, thankfully, made it to the station just as Regina pulled up to it.

"Are you sure he's not playing an elaborate game of 'hide and seek'?"

Lillian received the sternest look to date for that comment, though she smirked as soon as Regina's back was turned.

"No." The mayor shot back sharply, picking up her pace as they entered the holding room. "Graham! Henry's run away again." She called out, stopping next to Graham as Lillian took in the two occupied cells in the far side of the room. We have to…" Regian trailed off, catching sight of Emma in one of the cells and hissed out. "What is she doing here?"

"Do you know where he is?" Lillian asked as Regina continued to sputter like a fish beside her.

Emma rolled her eyes at them. "Honey, I haven't seen him since I dropped him at _your_," she directed to Regina, "house. And, I have a pretty good alibi."

Lillian smirked again at the dirty look Emma sent Graham at that. Clasping her hands behind her back, the teen hung back to watch the 'adults' go at it.

"Yeah, well, he wasn't in his room this morning." Regina finally shot back, eyeing the jailed blonde suspiciously.

"Did you try his friends?" Came Emma's flippant reply.

Lillian shifted uncomfortably. "He doesn't really have any." She admitted softly. "I'm the only one who's with him constantly."

"He's kind of a loner." Regina added.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Every kid has friends." She leaned against the bars of her cell. "Did you check his computer? If he's close to someone, he'd be emailing them."

"And you know this how?" Regina asked, one dark brow dangerously close to disappearing under her hairline.

"Finding people is what I do." Emma smirked suddenly as Lillian and Graham shared a look. "Here's an idea. How about you guys let me out and I'll help you find him."

Graham, after looking to Regina and receiving a nod, stepped forward and unlocked the cell. The blonde stepped out with an indignant huff, making Lillian roll her eyes.

"You said you could find him." The dark-haired teen reminded Emma, who frowned darkly at her. "So find him." With that, Lillian spun on her heel and left the room, calling off-handedly over her shoulder to Regina, "I'll look myself. Call if you find him."

* * *

><p>"Henry?" Lillian jogged towards the all but abandoned playground, smiling with relief when Henry's dark head popped above the wall. "There you are."<p>

She clambered up the ladder and seated herself next to him with a groan, tugging a knee up to her chest.

"How'd you find me?" Henry asked, looking out towards the water and fidgeting with his book bag.

"Well," Lillian sighed, leaning back on her hands. "When your mom called me, quite rudely I might add, I figured you'd be at your castle."

Henry's brow creased with worry. "Does she know I'm here?"

Lillian shook her head, frowning when his little body slumped in relief. "You know, I understand how she can be a bit of a..." She trailed off, aware that swearing around Henry would result in another lecture from Regina. "_Witch_." She said, ignoring Henry's snicker. "But she's trying her best to take care of you, Henry."

Henry opened his mouth, only for the soft screech of brakes to cut him off. Both turned to see a yellow bug pulling up towards the castle, revealing a relieved looking Emma. Lillian rolled her eyes and turned back to Henry, pressing a kiss to his forehead before she lightly jumped off the castle.

"I'll be waiting by the car." She called to Henry, not taking her eyes off a uncomfortable looking Emma. As they passed each other, Lillian leaned closer and glared up at the other woman. "Hurt him and they won't find your body."

Ignoring the blonde's stunned look, Lillian pranced to the bug before she leaned against it, placing a booted foot on the side for leverage. As she watched them talk, thankfully too far away to hear specifics, Lillian shivered when the back of her neck prickled unpleasantly.

Spinning around, the blue-eyed teen glanced warily at her surroundings, rubbing her neck when the feeling began to fade. With a shiver, she turned back to look out over the water, only reacting when Henry appeared in front of her.

"Lily!" She blinked, looking down to smile at the boy before she playfully mussed his hair.

"Why do you call me that?" She asked softly and Henry shrugged, smiling as mysteriously as a ten-year old could.

"You'll see."

Lillian rolled her eyes before she prodded him into the car, jumping in after him. As they drove through town, Emma glanced at them in her rear-view mirror.

"So, who's he think you are?" She asked dryly, making Lillian roll her eyes in annoyance.

Henry smirked from his spot snuggled up next to her. "She's the Dark Lilith."

Emma blinked in surprise, locking eyes with Lillian as the teen groaned into her hand.

"You think she's a demon sorceress?" Emma asked, sounding rather appalled that something indie Lillian became offended.

Shoving away that feeling, Lillian sighed and pinched Henry's cheek, much to the boy's annoyance.

"Last I checked, the Dark Lilith was _human_ in the books." Lillian snapped archly, unsure as to why she was so annoyed by Emma's comment. Shoving it aside, as they'd just pulled up in front of Regina's, Lillian jumped out of the car before she led Henry up the path.

"Lillian, thank you." Regina nodded at the teen as Henry rushed past them and up the stair.

Lillian returned the gesture. "Want me to stay for a bit?"

"Yes, please."

With that, the teen waved over her shoulder towards Emma before taking off after Henry. As she reached the bedroom, she smiled at the sight of Henry on his stomach, legs in the air, as he read his book.

"So," she closed the door lightly and sat next to him. "Tell me more about this 'Lilith'."

His answering grin practically lit up the room.

* * *

><p><em>"But...how will you know who I am? How will <em>I_ know who I am?" Lilith asked desperately as the rather loud rumbling became even louder._

_Rumple simply chirped happily. "Well, I have put a, how you say, loophole in the Curse." He smirked dangerously. "When the Savior returns and I hear her name...I shall remember." His narrowed his eyes playfully. "And so, my dear apprentice, shall you!"_

_"That's why you wanted Snow to tell you her name." Lilith whispered softly, turning around when magic began to tingle in the air. She turned back to Rumple, who nodded once before he looked over her shoulder._

_Without even turning, Lilith stiffened at the soft whoosh and sneered before composing her face into a blank mask._

_Clearly, Regina could never resist a chance to gloat._

* * *

><p>Lillian winced at the sound of shouting as she entered the Inn. Ruby and Granny were at it again, which left her little choice but to stand off to the side and pray that she sank into the wallpaper.<p>

"You're out all night, and now you're going out again." Granny accused loudly, making Ruby throw her hands up in exasperation.

"I should have moved to Boston!"

Granny rolled her eyes, pinning her granddaughter with a flat stare. "I'm sorry that my heart attack interfered with your plans to sleep your way down the eastern seaboard."

Lillian winced again, though turned when the soft tinkle of the bell echoed over the shouting. Blinking at the sight of a hesitant Emma, who immediately noticed her, Lillian simply turned back to Ruby and Granny.

"'Scuse me?" Emma said, raising her voice so the pair could hear her. "I'd like a room."

Granny blinked over he spectacles before a smile formed on her previously aggravated face. "Really? Would you like a forest view or a square view?" She asked as she heaved out the ledger from behind the desk. "Normally, there's an upgrade fee for the square but, as friends do, I'll wave it."

"Square is fine." Emma stuttered out, not doubt taken aback by the enthusiasm Granny displayed. Lillian rolled her eyes and joined Ruby's side as the town gossip eyed Emma like a new dress.

"Now, what's the name?" Granny asked, pen poised over the paper.

"Swan. Emma Swan."

Lillian went completely stiff, her eyes widening as she dimly registered Rumple speaking somewhere in front of her.

"_Emma_." He whispered softly and Lillian's eyes widened when she realized what she'd just called him. Shock rushed through her and her head began to ache as memories, old and new, began to flood her mind and fight for dominance. She looked to her left, to see Red and Granny bu her side before she looked ahead to see Rumple, sans lizard skin, and Henry's mother Emma.

The Savior.

"What a lovely name." Rumple finished softly, eyeing Emma curiously.

"Thanks." Emma said, obviously weirded out by Rumple's odd fadcination with her name.

Shaking her head, Lily raised her eyes to meet Rumple's and swallowed at the warning look in them. As Granny handed over the rent money, Lily quickly made her way around the desk to Rumple's side.

"It's all here."

Rumple pocketed the money distractedly, not even bothering to count it. "Yes, yes, of course it is, dear. Thank you." He turned to Emma, a small smirk playing at his lips. "You enjoy your stay…_Emma_." He turned towards Lily. "And, if I could have a word, _Lillian_?"

With a nod, they both exited the inn and, once they were several feet away from the doors, Lily nearly jumped on Rumple.

"Oh my god." She breathed against his shoulder as his free arm came around her shaking shoulders. Lily raised her head and met his pleased stare. "Has it really been twenty-eight years?"

He nodded in response before he gently pried her off him, allowing her to collect herself. With a soft sigh, Lily raised a hand to rub at her burning eyes before she pinned him with a small smirk.

"Well, now we just have to get _Emma_," she drawled out the name. "To break the Curse."


	2. The Thing You Love Most

Lily walked up the path to Regina's house, hoping that she wouldn't get involved in a fight between its occupants again. She reached out to knock, her hand freezing just as it touched the wood at the sound coming from behind her.

Lily slowly turned around as the clock continued to chime for the first time in twenty-eight years. A small smile flitted across her lips and she spun back around when the door slammed open. A pleased, yet anxious Henry darted out of the house and Lily grabbed him by the shoulders.

Lily took on look at his face before calling through the open doorway, "Madame Mayor, I'm walking Henry to school! We'll see you at five!" With that, Lily yanked her head out of the doorway, slamming the door before she gripped Henry's hand and marched down the walkway. As soon as they were several houses away, Henry relaxed. "Did you win a fight with Regina or something?"

He shrugged at her question and, still looking mildly pleased, he steered them towards Granny's. She stopped, pulling him back and pointed with her thumb in the other direction as his brow furrowed.

"Unless the geography of the town has changed while I wasn't looking, school is _that_ way." He smiled at her words. _Clearly, being snarky isn't going to ruin his good mood,_ Lily thought.

Henry simply turned back to the diner, smiling widely. "I know." He shot her a mischievous glanced over his shoulder. "But Emma, is that way."

Shaking her head as he resumed walking, Lily allowed him to pull her, hoping that whatever he had planned wouldn't cause more problems.

Though, knowing Regina, all hell would probably break loose before the day was up.

* * *

><p><em>Lilith walked past the guards, waving her hand when the burliest one moved to stop her. He froze and purple, shimmering light covered him from the waist down, causing the other guards to jerk away from her outstretched hand.<em>

_"I have been given permission and have sworn an oath of blood and magic to not release him." She glared darkly at the three men and when they nodded frantically, she smiled sweetly at them and turned away towards the stairs, absent mindedly flicking her hand behind her shoulder to cancel the spell._

_She made her way down the stairs and into the dimly lit corridor at the bottom, towards the makeshift cage that held Rumple._

_"Rumple." He reacted to her soft call, his shadowed form nearly dancing until he was right at the front of the cage, gripping the bars._

_"Hello, dearie!" He pressed his face right up to the bars, his expression mildly disturbing for a trapped man. Lilith pushed that down and continued until she was a mere foot from the bars. He continued to grin at her, his golden eyes glinting madly in the dim torchlight. "What can I do for my lovely assistant?"_

_She quirked a brow at his question and leaned closer to the bars. "I believe you know why, Rumple." He simply smirked at her and began to twiddle his thumbs, his expression still frightfully gleeful._

_"Of course!" He lowered his voice. "But I'm not in the mood to play guessing games right now, dearie." She smirked sardonically at him, though he simply giggled at the sight of her disapproval. "Now, now, don't look at me like that, Lilith." He wagged his finger at her in mock disapproval, making Lilith sigh and cross her arms._

_"Regina has gone to see Maleficent." He nodded, unsurprised. "She's going to get it, isnt' she."_

_Rumple nodded again, his voice low and grave. "Yes, she is."_

_Lilith resisted the urge to slam her face into her palm at his nonchalant answer and instead fixed a dark glare on the mad imp before her._

_"Why the bloody hell did you give Regina that stupid curse in the first place?" She demanded, furious with her mentor for the first time in years. "How could even you, create something that horrible?"_

_He interlocked his fingers, resting his forehead against the bars and stared hard at her, his gaze unblinking as she returned the favor._

_"You, Lilith, should know better than to question my actions." His hand snapped out and caught the back of her neck, yanking her face towards him as he all but snarled at her, somehow still managing to sound giddy. "Don't. Start. Now."_

_Lilith wrenched myself from his grip and stared at him, wary of his hidden agenda for the first time. Being away for almost three decades had apparently done more damage to her relationship with my mentor than she'd though, if he wasn't sharing with her the details of why the gave the Dark Curse to Regina._

_"Then perhaps I should stay here until your reasons come to light."_

* * *

><p>Lily glanced at Henry when he sat down in the booth, sharing an amused glance with Ruby as she made the hot chocolate and added cinnamon, a weird quirk of Henry's that wasn't that bad, actually. Lily stifled a snicker when Ruby said Emma had an admirer and had to cover her mouth at the sight of Henry's face.<p>

Emma, for some odd reason, decided that Graham was the one and after a few minutes of conversation, Graham finally stopped Emma's theory, giving Henry the opportunity to reveal himself.

"I did." The nonplussed blond stared at the ten-year old, her eyes wide as he smiled brightly to her. Lily stood as well, smirking quietly. "I like cinnamon too."

Emma raised an eyebrow after darting a quick glance down at the beverage before her eyes darted back to a smug Henry.

"Don't you have school?"

"Duh. I'm ten." Henry situated his backpack straps, stating the obvious before he smiled up at his birth mother. "Walk me."

Emma glanced at Lily, her eyebrow raising dangerously close to her hairline and she gestured at the other woman. "Uh, isn't that her job?"

Lily shrugged lightly, fixing the uncomfortable blond with an amused stare and quickly decided to not help her out in this situation.

"You can tag along."

Henry headed to the door, pulling Emma along while Lily smiled and walked after them, sending Graham a dark glare when she caught sight of the look on his face. She sighed inwardly, knowing she'd catch hell from Regina for letting Henry near Emma but, it would be worth it in the end.

They made it across the street before Emma cracked, clearly bursting with questions for the kid between them.

"So, what's the deal with you and your mom?" Henry shook his head at her question, easily deflecting.

"It's not about us, it's about her curse." He smiled up at Emma while Lily looked fondly towards the pawn shop, weighing the amount of pain Regina would cause her if she ditched the mother/son pair and went to work. "We have to break it." Henry continued, much to Emma's clear exasperation. "Luckily, I have a plan. Step one: Identification." He smiled up at her, his entire body nearly vibrating with excitement. "I call it Operation: Cobra."

"Cobra?" Emma parroted, her face twisting up in bemusement. "That has nothing to do with fairy tales." She shot Lily a confused glance and the younger girl rolled her eyes.

"He reads to many comic books." Lily explained with an absentminded wave of her hand, earning a sulky look from Henry before he turned back to Emma to explain more of his so-called 'plan'.

"Exactly. It's a code name to throw the Queen off the trail." I shared a look with Emma as she attempted to catch up to what Henry was saying.

"So, everyone here is a fairytale character-they just don't know it?" She clarified, staring down at Henry expectantly.

"That's the curse. Time's been frozen until you got here." She shot Lily a look, clearly begging for my help but I shrugged again.

"He's got a point," Lily pointed at the now moving clock. "The clock hasn't moved for as long as anyone can remember." Emma sighed and pulled an apple out of her pocket, to Henry's clear alarm.

"Hey! Where'd you get that?!" Emma stopped just as she was about to take a bite and pulled the red fruit from her mouth, her eyes wide.

"Your mom?"

Henry reacted, taking the apple from the stunned woman. "Don't eat that." Chucking the apple behind them, he continued to walk down the street and Lily glanced at Emma when she finally snapped out of her surprise and followed them, her wide eyes glancign back at the apple.

"O-okay. Uh, all right." She caught up to them, bringing Henry's attention back to her. "What about their pasts?"

"They don't know, it's a haze to them." He gestured around and even pointed to Lily. "Ask anyone anything and you'll see." Emma followed his movements and glanced at the dark-haired teen.

"Do you?" She asked softly, her eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

Lily shook her head, mindful of their gazes. "I honestly don't remember anything but Storybrooke."

Emma nodded haltingly, her movements jerky when she glanced down back at Henry. "So, for decades, people have been walking around here, not aging, with screwed-up memories, stuck in a cursed town that keeps them oblivious."

Lily smirked when Henry nodded, his expression lighting up and fought back the urge to groan when he failed to catch the rhetorical question Emma posed.

"I knew you'd get it!" He cheered. "That's why we need you, you're the only one who can stop the curse."

"Because I'm the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming?"

"Yes!" Henry chirped, his tiny face excited. "And right now, we have the advantage." Henry reached into his backpack and, to Lily's surprise, pulled out the last few pages of his storybook. He handed them off to a bemused Emma. "My mom doesn't know that I took out the end, the part with you in it."

Lily leaned closer to Emma and looked at the page, unsurprised to see Snow White cradling a baby in her arms. She darted a glance at Emma's face and held in a smirk at the look on it. The baby's blanket clearly had the name 'Emma' embroidered on it and Lily remembered Granny knitting that blanket before she presented it to a delighted Snow.

"See," Henry started, looking from the pages to his birth mother. "Your mom is Snow White."

Emma shook her head, her face twisted up in exasperation. "Oh, kid."

At the sight of her disbelief, Henry quickly spoke, his words filled with conviction. Lily stayed silent, aware that she probably wouldn't help anyone if she made any of the sarcastic comments welling in her throat.

"I know the hero never believes at first, if they did it wouldn't be a very good story." I glanced between them and rolled my eyes after a quick glance at the time, I prodded Henry and Emma along, not wanting Regina to hear that Henry had been late to school on my watch. "If you need proof, take them." Henry pushed the papers back into Emma's hands. "But, whatever you do, don't let her see the papers. They're dangerous." He warned and Emma shot Lily a desperate look, though she simply shrugged in response.

We arrived at the school just as the bell rang and Lily nudged Henry, smirking at the look he sent her. He turned back to Emma, his voice cheerful.

"I gotta go. But, I'll find you later and we can get started." He started towards the school, turning around with a huge grin on his features. "I knew you'd believe me!"

"I never said I did!" Emma called back but Henry's grin simply widened.

"Why else would you be here?" He called, waving goodbye to them before he ran towards the school, passing Mary Margaret on his way, sending her a brilliant smile.

The surprised teacher approached us, sending Lily a small smile that she returned. She hadn't been too well liked because she was Gold's assistant, so naturally, Lily wasn't exactly trusted by most of the town. But, ever since she'd become Henry's proverbial shadow, most of the town had warmed up to her.

She smiled brightly at Emma and, after darting another surprised look at Henry, turned back to them.

"It's good to see his smile back." She said, earning a confused look from Emma.

"I didn't do anything."

Mary Margaret shook her head, smile still in place. "You stayed." Her happy expression suddenly became solemn. "So, does the Mayor know you're here?"

Lily snorted, glancing up at an irritated Emma with a smirk before crossing her arms loosely.

"Oh, she knows." Emma stated, her voice flat. "What's her deal? She's not a great people person, how'd she get elected?"

Unsurprisingly, Mary Margaret's face took on a puzzled and almost cloudy expression, similar to how everyone else looked whenever they were asked questions about the past. The other woman blinked and lightly shook her head before answering, her eyes taking on a far away look.

"She's been mayor as long as I can remember, no one's ever been brave enough run against her. She inspires quite a bit of...well, fear." She shrugged again, focusing back on Emma and Lily. "I'm afraid I only made that worse by giving Henry that book. Now he thinks she's the Evil Queen."

"And that I'm some sorceress named the Dark Lilith." Lily spoke up, earning an amused look from both women. "Well, I have to hear about it enough from Henry." She smirked in response to Emma's next question.

"Who does he think you are?"

Mary Margret looked down bashfully, her pale face filled with fondness. "Oh...it's silly."

"I just got five minutes of silly." Emma stated in as serious of a voice as she was clearly capable of. "Lay it on me."

Mary Margaret smiled again, still looking as bashful as the dwarf she'd been best friends with back in the Enchanted Forest.

"Snow White." She admitted, oblivious to the look of shock that crossed Emma's features. She looked up to the other woman with a small smile. "Who does he think you are?"

Wide-eyed, Emma shook her head, nearly tripping over her words. "I'm not in the book." I raised an eyebrow but said nothing, starting at her next words. "Can I ask you a favor?" Mary Margaret nodded, always the helpful one. "Regina mentioned the kid's in therapy. Do you know where I can find the doctor?"

Mary Margaret nodded but, the warning bell for the school rang and Lily jumped into the conversation, not wanting to make Mary Margaret late for her job.

"I can take her, Mrs. Blanchard." The dark-haired woman nodded at Lily gratefully and took off for the school, sending a short wave over her shoulder. Lily glanced at Emma and managed a small smile. "Come on, I don't have to be at the shop yet."

She turned from the school, heading back to the main street, Emma at her heels. "What shop do you work at?"

Lily held in a smirk at Emma's question and, peeked at her from the corner of her eyes when she answered.

"I work at the pawn shop, for Mr. Gold."

* * *

><p>After dropping Emma off at the front of the building that housed Archie's office, Lily rushed across the street, passing Leroy on the way and gave the burly man a sarcastic wave, earning a sneer from him.<p>

She held in a chuckle, oddly grateful that the sarcastic relationship she'd had with the dwarf in the Enchanted Forest hadn't dimmed in this new land. She entered the shop, her boots echoing on the wooden floors as she made my way to the back room.

Lily peeked my head around the door frame and went fully into the room when she caught sight of Gold going through one of the cupboards. She leaned against the frame and raised an eyebrow, clearing her throat loudly.

He didn't even react, continuing to take and move things from the wooden shelves.

"You're late, dearie."

Lily rolled her eyes and pushed off the wall, stalking forward and taking a heavy looking vase from his hands. "And _you_ shouldn't be lifting such heavy things."

"When did you get this snarky, dear?" He turned to her, his lips twitching lightly.

Lily simply smiled at him before she placed the vase on the counter and turned around back to him with a soft smile. "Around the same time you hired me." She teased back, and they both knew she wasn't talking about being hired at the pawn shop, as that had never technically happened. Lily had woken up twenty-eight years ago and already worked for Gold. She was talking about when she'd been eight years old and Rumpelstiltskin had taken her on as his apprentice. "If I'm anything, I learned it from you, boss."

He simply tsked softly, wagging a finger at Lily, pretending to chastise her. "You are far too insolent for your own good."

Lily simply sent him a cheeky smile before she removed my coat and hung it up, going to his side and staring at the mess in front of her.

"Good lord, what did you do to this poor cabinet?" She asked in mock outrage, though she was a little peeved because this was the cabinet she'd organize just yesterday. Lily turned a baleful eye on him before she rolled my eyes at his sheepish expression.

"I needed to find something."

"And what, pray tell, did you need to find so badly?" He raised his hand and she gasped loudly, covering her mouth with her hand at the sight of the chain dangling from his hand. With shaky hands, she accepted the necklace from Gold and stared at it with wide eyes.

"Where...where did you...how..." Lily stared up at him, feeling her eyes burn with tears at the sight of his sad features.

"I knew how important it was to you and, I felt that I had to find it." He smiled softly at her, placing his hand overtop of her own. "It was my fault you lost it, in the first place, after all."

He removed his hand and she stared at the pendant, swallowing past the lump that had grown in her throat. Lily allowed him to take it and palce it around her neck, nearly sobbing at the relief at the familiar weight around her neck.

"Thank you, Gold."

* * *

><p>Lily walked towards the school and, before she could react, Henry was running at her, his dark eyes wide in horror.<p>

"Lily!" He called to her, Mary Margaret at his heels and, before Lily could move, Henry barreled into her, knocking the breath out of her.

"Henry!" She wheezed out, nearly doubling over and was extremely grateful when Mary Margaret rushed over, supporting her with gentle hands. "Next time, please warn me before you tackle me." Lily gasped out, still out of breath even as Mary Margaret rubbed her back.

After several moments of Lily wheezing for breath and, seeing that Henry was nearly bouncing with anticipation, Mary Margaret spoke.

"Are you okay, Lily?"

Lily nodded at the other woman before she sent a dirty look to the boy next to her. "I'm fine, Mrs. Blanchard." She straightened up and turned her attention back to Henry, who was still practically jumping up and down. "So, why did you decide to run at me like a bull?"

"Emma's in prison!" Henry nearly shouted, his eyes widening with exaggerated horror. "She's been accused of stealing records from Archie-"

"Don't tell me, Regina?" Lily smacked herself in the face with an annoyed groan.

Henry nodded his dark head, his eyes still as wide as they could be. "She pulled me out of class and told me!" A quick glance at his teacher's nod gave Lily all the answer she needed. She sighed darkly, her good mood from earlier evaporating as she took Henry's hand and pulled him with her.

"I'm assuming we're headed to the Sheriff's Office?"

Henry's responding smile caused Lily to give him a small smile in return and she shared another look with Mary Margaret, who simply smiled weakly at her before they set off towards the center of town.

They made it there just as Emma was getting her mug shots and, never the subtle one, Henry called out to Graham.

"Hey!"

Their bearded Sheriff turned around, his eyes wide at the sight of the mayor's son. "Henry! Henry, what are you doing here?" He asked, pulling away from the camera and Emma, who was looking at the three of them in shock.

"Regina told him what happened." Mary Margaret offered.

"Of course she did." Emma rolled her eyes before turning her attention to Henry. "Henry, I don't know what she said-"

"You're a genius!"

"What?" Emma and Lily asked, their matching expressions of confusion evident.

"I know what you were up to." Henry continued. "You were gathering intel." He gave Emma a pointed look, his expression serious. "For Operation: Cobra?"

Graham started looking between Emma and Henry, his expression confused.

"I'm sorry, I'm a bit lost."

Henry, to Lily's delight and pride, smirked up at the sheriff.

"It's need to know, Sheriff. And all you need to know, is that Mrs. Blanchard's gonna bail her out."

Emma started and stared at the dark-haired woman, her eyes wide. "You are? Why?"

Clearly unnerved by the attention she had just gathered, Mary Margaret blinked and looked around.

"I, uh...trust you." She offered, clearly uncomfortable with having the attention of everyone in the room.

Emma nodded before turning to Graham and outstretched her cuffed hands.

"Well, if you can un-cuff me, I have something to do."

* * *

><p><em>Lilith glanced around the room before looking at Rumple, who smirked at her before he leaned against the bars and called out, his voice trilling. "It's just us dearie!" His voice turned sing-song. "You can show yourself."<em>

_She watched dispassionately as one of the many mice on the floor became surrounded by black smoke, turning slowly into Regina. The Queen cracked her neck once and sighed before turning to them._

_"That curse you gave me...it's not working."_

_Rumple smirked and tilted his head, clearly ready to tease the Queen as much as possible. "Oh, so worried. So, so worried." He lowered his voice. "Like Snow and her lovely, new husband."_

_His words had their desired effect and, Regina's face became like stone._

_"What?" She asked flatly and Rumple's smile brightened, if that was possible._

_"They paid me a visit as well. They were very anxious about you and the Curse."_

_At Rumple's words, Regina moved closer to the cage, shooting Lilith a dirty look as she did so, and glared at the man in the cage._

_"What'd you tell them?"_

_"The truth!" He trilled, looking far too happy considering he was discussing the Curse to end all curses. "That nothing can stop the darkness...except of course, their unborn child." Regina's face became even harsher and Lilith smirked lightly at her, drawing her attention myself._

_"What is it, Lilith?" She hissed, clearly not wanting to even speak directly to the younger sorceress._

_"Well, Regina." Lilith allowed her smirk to become wider. "Any curse, no matter how powerful, can always be broken. Their child is the key."_

_"Of course, the curse has to be enacted first." Rumple mocked, sharing an amused look with Lilith before he turned his golden eyes back to Regina._

_"Tell me what I did wrong." She commanded, her voice low and, judging by the look on his face, this was exactly what Rumple had been waiting for._

_"For that, there's a price." He giggled and Lilith sighed, resisting the urge roll her eyes at his flair for the dramatics._

_"What do you want?" Regina asked, clearly as unsurprised by his words as Lilith was._

_"Simple. In this new world, I want comfort. I want a good life. For me," he sent Lilith a somewhat serious glance and she blinked in response. "And for Lilith here." His eyes sharpened and he stared hard at Regina. "You will not separate my ward from me."_

_"Fine. She will remain your ward. You'll have an estate, be rich-"_

_"I wasn't finished!" He snapped, gripping the bars tighter. "There's more."_

_Regina sneered at him, though her expression was resigned. "There always is with you." At her words, Lilith chuckled softly, earning another glare from the Queen. "Something funny, Lilith?"_

_"Not at all, M'lady." Lilith nodded her head at Regina, smirking lightly at the fury etched clearly on her face._

_Rumple pulled her attention back, though it was hard to ignore the high-pitched trill he called a laugh, especially when he giggled his words. "In this new land, should I ever come to you for any reason, you must heed my every request." Lilith didn't need to look at Regina to know that they shared the same incredulous expression on their faces. "You must do whatever I say! So long as I say...please!"_

_"You do realize that should I succeed, you won't remember any of this?" She reminded him, only earning herself a slightly mad smile from the caged imp._

_"Oh, well then..." he tilted his head, his eyes glinting in the torch light. "Where's the harm?"_

_"Deal." Regina answered, a smirk growing on her painted lips, even as Rumple backed away from the bars and snorted, clearly amused with the woman in front of him. Lilith glanced at him, able to feel the smugness radiating off him. "What must I do to enact this curse?"_

_"You need to sacrifice a heart." He gestured to his chest with one hand, gripping the bars of the cage with the other._

_"I sacrificed the heart of my prized steed."_

_Even Lilith was unprepared for Rumple's violent reaction to Regina's response. He lunged at the bars with a grunt, pulling himself up them so his face hovered over Regina's and grabbed her face, forcing her to look at him._

_"A horse?" He hissed out, clearly incensed. "This is the curse to end all curses and you think a horse is gonna do?! Great power, requires great sacrifice." Her eyes narrowed when he continued. "The heart must come from something far more precious."_

_Instead of reacting to his manhandling of her person, Regina simply stared at him, her voice surprisingly steady. "Tell me what will suffice."_

_"The heart of the thing you love most." He cooed, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Un surprised, Lilith glanced from Rumple to Regina as the later's face filled with hate as she grabbed the hand clutching her face, white-knuckled grip shaking._

_"What I love most died because of Snow White." She hissed out, hate and malice dripping off her words._

_Lilith rolled her eyes, uncaring if Regina saw. Having heard that story enough to know that what Snow White had done hadn't contained any malicious intent and she'd only been a child, Lilith knew that Snow had had no idea about the atrocities Cora was capable of. Snow White had done what she thought was right, she thought she was helping. She hadn't purposefully had Daniel killed, in fact, she hadn't even known about what had happened until years later._

_Her attention was jerked back to the two magic users in front of her when Rumple cooed softly at Regina, his mocking voice gently soothing her._

_"Ooh, is there no one else you twuly love?" Regina's eyes widened with realization and Lilith felt the shock filling her before cold, icy dread followed it. "This curse isn't gonna be easy. Vengeance never is, dearie."_

_Lilith swallowed thickly when Rumple's eyes landed on her, his knowing, golden gaze spearing her in place and she held back a scream when Regina's attention turned to me._

_"You have to ask yourself, Regina. One simple question." The teen hissed out quietly, earning a confused look from the Queen in front of her. Regina, despite her claims, clearly had no inkling of the sordid past Lilith had. "How far are you willing to go for your vengeance?"_

_After a moment's hesitation, Regina leaned forward, hissing softly at Rumple, though her eyes remained on Lilith._

_"As far as it takes."_

_"Then stop wasting everyone's time and just do it." Rumple spat out, clearly tired of this little 'game'. "You know what you love."_

_Lilith picked up where he left off, making sure that her eyes were red and her voice was filled with malice when she spat out the words._

_"Now go kill it."_

* * *

><p>Lily smiled at Henry as they climbed the stairs to Regina's office, keeping her arm around his shoulders to try and offer some comfort. He turned to his baby-sitter, his eyes big and pleading.<p>

"Can't you just take me back to Granny's and we can skip the torture session?"

She rolled her eyes at his pleading tone, aware that giving into him once meant it would become a regular thing.

"Henry, spending time with your mother isn't a torture session." Lily scolded, continuing before she could stop myself. "Be grateful you have a mother..." Breaking off in wide-eyed shock, she clamped her mouth shut.

Henry stared up at her, his eyes wide with shock before he looked away, muttering apologies softly. "Sorry, sis..."

"It's fine, Henry." Lily hugged him closer to her, kissing the top of his head and, as they reached Regina's office, both came to a complete stop at the open door.

"The poor kid can't tell fantasy from reality and it's crazy."

Before she could stop him, Henry spoke up, his voice filled with pain and completely heartbroken. "You think I'm crazy?"

Emma whirled around on the couch, her eyes wide at the sight of her son in the doorway. She glanced over her shoulder to meet Regina's smug smirk and, with an inward sigh of disgust, Lillian sent Emma a glare.

Henry went from my side, nearly running down the stairs, ignoring Emma's call of his name. Lillian sent both of the women a heated glare before she took off after him, aware that this was going to be far more detrimental than Emma probably thought.

"Henry!" Lily yelled, rushing down the stairs before she gave up and leapt over the bannister, landing in front of him as he reached the bottom of the stairs. She caught him by the shoulders and, ignoring his half-hearted struggles, pulled him into her arms and led him out of the building.

They stalked through the streets and Lily led them to his castle, allowing him to climb it and sit on the platform before she joined him. Worried at the depressed expression on his face and his now sullen demeanor, Lily wrapped an around around his hunched shoulders.

"Henry, look at me." She commanded softly, cupping his chin when he did so.

"She thinks I'm crazy, Lily." Her chest throbbed at the pain in his voice and Lily simply pulled him into her arms again, holding him as a painful shudder went through his little body. "_Crazy_."

She pushed him away far enough so she could see his face and gripped his chin again, pulling his face up so his eyes met hers. "Henry, you are _not _crazy." Lily said, her tone fierce as he looked up at her with those sad, brown eyes. "And anyone who says so is a bloody idiot and will have to deal with _me_."

True, Lily didn't have her magic anymore, but she was still fully able to take care of herself and him, something Henry knew all too well. At the sight of his eyes welling up with moisture and the tears spilling over, Lily pulled him back into her embrace and hugged him tightly, aware that she couldn't give him the comfort he truly needed and wanted.

The comfort of a mother.

Hours layer, Lily sat silently in Archie's office next to Henry, who was currently playing with Archie's customary umbrella and leaning on his babysitter. The bespectacled shrink had been trying, unsuccessfully, for over an hour to try and draw Henry out of the depressed slump he was in. It was rare that Lily was involved in these session but, after seeing the state Henry was in, Archie had all but begged her to stay as she had more success with Henry than even the resident shrink.

"Are you sure you don't wanna talk about it?" Archie tried again, for what seemed like the hundredth time and I held in the urge to huff in irritation. Finally seeing that approach wasn't going to get any results, Archie tried another tactic. "You know, that umbrella is kind of my good luck charm. Is that why you think I'm Jiminy Cricket?"

Henry messed with the umbrella handle for a few minutes before he sighed deeply. "I don't think you're anyone." He set the umbrella on the coffee table and Lily shared a disturbed look with Archie, though her attention was quickly diverted by the door behind them slamming open.

Lily blinked at the sight of Emma and Archie stood, his eyes wide behind his glasses.

"Ms. Swan! Look, I can explain...the mayor forced me-" He stuttered, his voice filled with guilt.

"I know. Don't worry about it. I get it." Emma brushed him aside, focusing her attention on her silent son. "Henry, I'm sorry."

"I don't wanna talk to you." He turned his head away from her, leaning deeply into the couch as if he wanted to sink into it.

Archie chose that moment to speak up, his voice hesitant. "Ms. Swan, if she knew you were here-"

"To hell with her!" Emma spat out and Lily raised an eyebrow but didn't remark, content to remain silent until Henry needed her. Emma sat down on the coffee table, facing Henry. "Henry, there is one simply reason I'm here-you. I wanted to get to know you."

Lily didn't have to be an empathy to practically feel the guilt and desperation coming off Emma. The dark-haired teen glanced at Henry, unsurprised to see that he still refused to look at the blonde in front of him.

"You think I'm crazy."

"No-I think the curse is crazy and it is." She sighed deeply. "But, that doesn't mean it isn't true." Lily stared at her, bemused as to why Emma decided now, of all times, to pretend that she believed Henry. If she was pretending, then when Henry found out about it, and he would, it would be even worse for her than it was now. "It is a lot to ask anyone to believe in-"

"I believe in him." Lily stated quietly, not taking her eyes off Emma's face. The blonde turned to face her, meeting Lily's eyes for several seconds before she turned her attention back to Henry.

"There are a lot of crazy things in this world. So, what do I know? Maybe it is true."

"But you told my mom-"

"What she needed to hear." Emma finished. "What I do know, is that if the curse is real, the only way to break it is by tricking the Evil Queen...into thinking we are non-believers."

Lily stared at her in puzzled shock, unsure if she was being honest or was just trying to get into Henry's good graces again. Years of being deprived of her gift of empathy had left Lily unable to truly judge whether or not ap erson was lying. And Emma had already proved to be a rather good one.

Lily glanced back at Archie, who had remained behind the couch, clearly hesitant to get in the way of this little heart-to-heart session going on in front of them. Emma kept her attention on Henry, who was slowly bringing his head towards her.

"'Cause, that way, she's not onto us. Isn't that what Operation:Cobra is all about?" Emma glanced at Archie, who smiled at her before she turned her attention back to Henry, who was now looking at her fully and slowly pulling away from Lily's side. "To throw her off the trail?"

Henry smiled at that and fully sat up, his face filling with excitement. "Brilliant!"

Lily couldn't' hold back a small smile and leaned against the edge of the couch, glancing up at Archie when he sat next to her.

"I read the pages." Emma pulled the torn pages out of her coat. "And, Henry, you're right. They are dangerous. There is only one way to make sure that she never sees them." Emma, to Lily's surprise, stood and walked to the fire, throwing each of the pages into the flames. "Now we have the advantage."

Henry nearly shot up from the couch and flung his arms around her waist. With a sigh, the blond rested her cheek against his head, hugging him tightly to her.

"I knew you were here to help me." He muttered, his voice filled with so much quiet joy that it made Lily's smile widen.

"That's right kid, I am." Emma pulled back, holding Henry at arm's length. "And nothing, not even a curse, is gonna stop that."

With a large grin, Henry hugged her again and Lily glanced up at Archie, sharing a grin with him before she looked back at mother and son, feeling much better about the fate of this town and everyone in it.

As they left Archie's office, Lily allowed Henry to hold her hand while Emma kept her arm around his shoulders. Lily glanced around and, when she met the smirking face of my mentor, she smirked back and nodded, letting him know that everything was in place.

He nodded back before heading the opposite direction, towards Regina's. Lilly held back a chuckle, realizing that Regina was about to be forced to fulfill another part of her deal with Gold. She looked back at Henry when he squeezed her hand and she gripped his back, allowing herself to be led towards the diner.

Everything was falling into place.

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><p><strong>Thoughts? Comments? Questions?<strong>


	3. Snow Falls

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot and any other unrecognizable characters and dialogue.**

**I'm glad you seem to like the rewrite so far!**

**So, one detail I changed was when Lily remembered. In the original, it said that Gold knew the entire time and he made Lily remember eight years before the Curse broke. Now, I have her remembering after Gold heard Emma's name, which is when the producers say he remembered in the actual show.**

**Thanks for the reviews, follows and faves so far!**

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><p><em>Her eyes shot open with a gasp and, taking in her surroundings with wide eyes, Lily quickly realized she wasn't in her bedroom at Granny's. <em>

_She was in a jungle. A very familiar jungle._

_Breathing hard, she looked around wildly sitting up and pulling myself off the ground with jerky, tense movements. Lily stepped back a few steps and, as a soft chattering sound came from around her, making her breathing and heartbeat accelerated._

_She moved back, away from the sound and hit a tree, still staring around wildly, panting harshly. At the sound of a stick cracking, she whirled around and smothered a shriek with her hand at the sight of the Shadow in front of me._

_Shaking, Lily stepped away from it and swallowed thickly when it chuckled darkly._

_"You still aren't used to coming here every night, are you?" It tilted its head, eyes glowing in the dim light and she shivered when it came closer. "Even though you finally have your memories." She could hear the smirk in its voice, knowing that if it had a mouth, it would be mocking her with the expression. "_He_ won't be pleased."_

_"Why do you torture me like this? It's always the same, you invade my dreams to torment me with _him_." Lily hissed out, trying to control the trembling of her voice. If this was the real world and she was in Neverland, she'd have her magic and wouldn't exactly be scared of the Shadow but, she had no control over what happened in this dream. "Why can't you leave me alone!" She yelled, freezing when a voice came from behind her, the low, husky tone so familiar._

_"Leave us." The voice commanded and the Shadow obediently took flight, leaving her alone with _him_._

_Suddenly, she really wanted the Shadow to come back._

_Lily remained where she was, stiffening when hands gently touched her shoulder, though she couldn't hold back a shiver when cool lips gently brushed the side of her neck. With a dark chuckle, the hands on her shoulders spun her around and she looked up to meet the bright green eyes of the boy she'd left behind._

_"I told you I'd find you, Lily."_

* * *

><p>Lily shot up from my bed, a scream dying in her throat as she took in the darkened surroundings with wild eyes.<p>

Panting and gasping, she brought my knees up to my chest and rested her forehead against her knees. After a few minutes, her heartbeat and breathing began to slow and she fell back against my pillows. Staring at the ceiling and keeping her gaze there even when footsteps came pounding down the hall, she winced when the door was flung open, allowing dim light from the hall to spill in.

"Really, Lils." A groggy Ruby asked, failing to smother a yawn with her hand before she stepped into the room and motioned with her hands at the other woman. "Alright, scoot over."

Lily obliged her demands and, minutes later, they were both curled in the bed, facing each other.

"You gonna tell me what that was all about?"

She shrugged, playing with the edges of the blanket, earning a groan from the older girl.

"Bad dreams." Lily muttered, not going into more detail than that, though she was dying to confide the subject of her dreams. Especially because _he_ had finally appeared in them, after several years of absence.

Muttering darkly under her breath, Ruby turned away from her with a soft 'goodnight' and was snoring away within minutes.

Lily laid awake for hours, turning her necklace over in her hands and wondering if it was the cause of his reappearance in the dreams. Before her memories had returned, he'd appeared in them almost every night but, for the last few years, only the Shadow had appeared and half the time, even it wasn't in the dreams. In those dreams, she was left by herself in the once familiar jungle, running and searching for something, anything.

She blinked when her alarm went off, slamming a hand down on the clock before it could wake Ruby. With a sigh, Lily pulled herself out of the bed and stalked to her bathroom, catching a glance of herself in the mirror before she jumped into the waiting shower.

Bloodshot blue eyes and dark shadows under them was becoming quite common for her and she held back a groan. Henry had decided to volunteer her to help Mary Margaret chaperone his class trip to the hospital. Well, that put a bit of a damper on her plans to crash at the Paw Shop.

With a snort, she jumped out of the shower, knowing that if she was even a minute late, Regina would kill her.

"Lillian, are you okay?"

She opened her tired eyes and nodded at a concerned Mary Margaret, glancing around the ward for Henry. She caught sight of him in a room off from the rest of the ward, with a single man and Lily swallowed, holding back a rush of pity when she realized that Henry was currently staring at Charming.

She'd forgotten he was a coma patient at the hospital, and a John Doe on top of that. While glad that he hadn't actually died from the stab wound, Lily knew that his current predicament wasn't all that better. Mary Margaret followed her gaze and took off, opening the door just as Henry reached for Charming's face.

"Henry, we could really use your help with the decorations." Mary Margaret said softly as Lily joined her by the door.

"Is Mr. Doe gonna be okay, Ms. Blanchard?" Henry asked in a small voice.

Lily smiled softly at his innocence, grateful that he'd managed to hold onto his far longer than she had.

"His name's not John Doe, honey." His teacher corrected, her eyes sad. "That's just what they call people who they don't know who they are."

"Do you know who he is?" Henry questioned again, his voice still innocent and Lily narrowed her eyes, stifling a yawn.

"No, I just bring him flowers on my rounds." Mary Margaret soothed, looking sadly at the still man on the bed.

"What's wrong with him?" Henry asked, clearly drawing his own conclusion as to who this man was.

"I don't know. He's been like this as long as I've been voluntering."

"Does he have any family or friends?"

"No one's claimed him." She shrugged, keeping her eyes on the man's face.

"So...he's all alone." Henry ventured and she nodded, her face a mask of sadness.

"Yeah. It's quite sad."

"You sure you don't know him?" Henry pushed, clearly not letting this go.

"Of course I'm sure." Mary Margaret chuckled lightly before she reached forward for her student. "Come on, you shouldn't be in here."

Henry obediently walked out of the room and Lily nudged him towards his classmates, unsurprised that when she looked behind her, Mary Margaret was staring at the man in the bed, her brow furrowed.

Lily sighed inwardly as cold fury once again welled inside her towards both Regina and Gold for the predicament they were all in. As Henry caught her eye, she silently resolved to assure Henry that his storybook 'theories' weren't make-believe.

Hours later, instead of taking Henry home and sleeping for a few hours on their couch, Lily was currently leaning against the inside of the wall to Henry's castle, while he and Emma sat on the top of the wall, talking.

"I found your father, Prince Charming." Henry told Emma, the book open on his lap to, most likely, a picture of Charming.

"Henry..." Emma started, voice tired and she glanced down at Lily, though the teen was in sleep-deprived haze and did nothing more that give her a look in response.

"He's in the hospital, in a coma." He continued, ignoring his mother, and tapped hard on the page. "See the scar? He has one too."

Lily smirked at that, remembering Snow's tale of exactly how that scar came to be and the flustered look on Charming's face when she first teased him about it.

"So?" Emma asked. "Lot's of people have scars."

"In the same place?" Lily asked skeptically.

"Don't you see what this means? The curse is keeping them apart with the coma, and now they're stuck without each other. We have to tell Ms. Blanchard." Henry nearly bounced with excitement.

"Tell her what?" Lily asked, desperately trying to stop her eyes from staying shut. Henry nudged her with his foot and she turned to glare up at him.

"We have to tell her we found her Prince Charming."

"Okay, kid." Emma began as Lily snorted, twisting around so she wasn't leaning against the wood anymore and was looking up at them. "Telling someone their..." She stopped, clearly struggling for the right word. "_Soulmate_, is in a coma is probably not helpful." Her expression was pained as she continued. "Not having a happy ending is painful enough but...giving someone unrealistic hope is far worse."

"But what if I'm right?" Henry argued. "We know who they are, now they have to know."

"And, how do you intend to make that happen?" Emma asked, skeptic as ever.

"By reminding him." Henry said, proudly displaying his storybook. "We have to get her to read their story to John Doe, then maybe he'll remember who he is."

Emma inhaled deeply and Lily looked at her in surprise when she agreed.

"Okay."

Henry clearly shared my surprise as he repeated her answer, his face filling with excitement. "Okay?"

"Yeah, we'll do it. But, we'll do it my way. Let me ask her." Henry nodded and Lily sighed, sinking back against the wood.

"I don't like the sound of that."

* * *

><p><em>Lily jerked awake, wide-eyed and looked around, biting her tongue to stop from screaming at the surroundings. Slowly, she righted herself and pulled her knees up to her chest, not wanting to deal with that damned Shadow tormenting her again.<em>

_She already did it to herself every day, thank you very much._

_After several minutes of nothing happening, she slowly pulled rose to her feet and warily looked around._

_"It's not here." _

_I whirled around and froze at the sight of him leaning against the tree, his arms crossed over his chest. He pushed off the tree and I backed away, still convinced that this was a cruel trick of the Shadow. She grabbed at her head, still backing away from him._

_"This isn't real...wake up..." Lily muttered, repeating the words like a mantra. After several moments of nothing happening, she reigned in the sob building in her chest. "Stop tormenting me." She pleaded brokenly, falling to her knees._

_"Lily." She blinked when long arms encircled her and looked up to meet bright green eyes. He simply smiled. "This is real."_

_Lily shook her head again, unwilling to believe and tried to push away from his grip._ _"This is a dream. It's not real." She looked up to meet his eyes. "You aren't really here."_

_He shook his head once._ _"Neverland is a place for children to visit in their dreams. And you, were once a very special inhabitant of this land." He cooed before leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss to her forehead._

_"Peter..." She whispered, gripping his face and tangling her fingers in his hair._

_He gently cradled her against his chest and tilted her chin up so she could meet his gaze._

_"Please come back to me, Lily."_

* * *

><p>Lily nearly stumbled down the stairs, rubbing at her sore eyes and ran into Ruby, who steadied the younger girl before proceeding to smother her like a mother wolf. After another sleepless night, Lily knew she was starting to look like the dead walking.<p>

"You still aren't sleeping." Ruby commented, pulling Lily back up the stairs to the bathroom and forced her to perch myself on the counter while she rummaged around in her make-up bag.

Wit ha triumphant 'ah-ha!' Ruby attacked Lily with make-up and, after about five minutes of hell, she turned her to face the mirror and Lily had to smile at what she'd done. The dark circles underneath her eyes were barely noticeable and Ruby had line her eyes with black liner, clearly trying to draw away from how bloodshot they were.

She hopped of the counter and hugged Ruby tightly before she allowed older girl to plait her hair quickly. After another hug, they both ran down the stairs as Granny would go ballistic if she knew Ruby had abandoned her post, even if it was to help Lily.

"Thanks, Rube."

She nodded, sending Lily a wink before she went back to flirting with the man at the counter. Lily rolled her eyes and crossed the room, sitting next to Henry just as Emma came walking from the public restroom, in a pale lavender shirt that was clearly Regina's.

"Thanks for the shirt." She adjusted the sleeves and, at the sight of Lily's amused expression, gave Henry an irritated look. "Hey, is this your mother's?"

"She'll never know." Henry promised, almost evilly and his baby-sitter sighed, nudging him playfully before she looked across the table at Emma.

"Where does she think you are anyway?" She looked at the teen. "With Lily?"

"Nope." Lily shrugged. "I don't usually watch him until after noon on the weekends."

"Playin' Whac-a-mole." Henry answered her, smug smirk in place and Lily rolled her eyes, knowing that Regina had, most likely, bought that excuse.

"And she bought that?" Emma dryly asked.

"She wants to believe it, so she does." Henry shrugged, still smirking.

"Oh, imagine that." Emma said, sending Henry a pointed look, that he ignored. Lily held in a chuckle when he pursed his lips at her and nodded, his attention going to the door when the bell jingled. "She's here!"

"Hey, don't get your hopes up." Emma warned as Mary Margaret joined us, sitting next to Emma. "We're just starting-"

"He woke up."

"What?" Emma asked flatly, staring at the black-haired woman with wide eyes.

"I knew it!" Henry cheered.

"I mean, he didn't _wake up_, wake up." Mary Margaret corrected. "But, he grabbed my hand."

Lily slumped in my seat, though Henry seemed overjoyed by that simple reaction. He was vibarating like he was on a sugar high, something that the entire town had come to dread.

"He's remembering!"

"What did the doctor say?" Lily asked softly.

"That I imagined it, but I'm not crazy." Mary Margaret shook her head, her voice firm. "I know it happened."

"We have to go back, you have to read to him again." Henry announced. To Lily and Emma's shock, his teacher readily agreed with him.

"Let's go."

Lily traded a bewildered glanced with Emma before she scooted out of the booth, allowing Henry to get out.

Mary Margaret followed him and Emma jumped up after her.

"Wait, wait, wait."

Mary Margaret turned back to face her, clearly set in her decision. "If I got through to him, if we made a connection-"

"You don't believe-"

"That he's Prince Charming?" Mary Margaret asked, shaking her head. "Of course not." Her face lit up, the expression hopeful. "Somehow, some way, I touched him."

With that, all four of them all but ran to the hospital. They rushed past the flustered nurse and when they reached the ward, Henry caught sight of the many doctors in the room the John Doe had been in and got excited all over again.

"You're right! He's waking up."

Lily blinked when she realized that Graham was standing at the doors and, at the sound of Henry's voice, the Sheriff turned around and held out his hands.

"Henry, you should stay back!"

Lily caught him, pulling him into her embrace as Mary Margaret questioned Graham, her words tense.

"What is it? Is it John Doe? Is he okay?"

Graham grimaced at her questions and looked around at all of us. "He's missing." The man admitted.

Lily looked past his shoulder, frowning when the doctors shifted and revealed that Regina was in the room. The Mayor turned her head and caught sight of them, her face twisting with annoyance.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Regina spat at Emma when she stalked out of the room. "And you," she looked down at Henry and grabbed his arm, yanking him from Lily's arms. The blue-eyed teen glared at her, Emma following suit. "I thought you were at the arcade. Now you're lying to me?" She asked, clearly unsettled by Henry's actions.

"What happened to John Doe, did someone take him?" Mary Margaret asked, somewhat defusing the tension.

"We don't know yet, his IVs were ripped out but there's no sign for sure there was a struggle." Graham offered and Henry turned accusing eyes onto Regina.

"What did you do?"

"You think I had something to do with this?" Regina asked incredulously.

"It is curious that the Mayor is here." Emma commented, staring hard at the other woman.

"I'm here because I'm his emergency contact." Regina snapped at the blonde.

"So you know him."

Regina shook her head at Mary Margaret's words. "I found him on the side of the road years ago, with no ID. I brought him here."

Graham nodded at us and Lily rolled her eyes, aware that he was still Regina's dutiful lap dog. "Mayor Mills saved his life."

Dr. Whale came from the room, standing next to Regina and Mary Margaret addressed him, still worried sick about John Doe.

"Will he be okay?"

"Okay?" The doctor echoed and Lily resisted the urge to smack him. "The man's been on feeding tubes for years, under constant supervision. He needs to get back here right away or, quite honestly, 'okay' might be a pipe dream."

"You could be a bit less of an ass, Whale." Lily hissed out, ignoring the look from all adults present. She continued to glare at him as Mary Margaret's face fell. The teacher turned to Emma, who clearly decided to take charge.

"Well, then let's quite yappin' and start lookin'." She turned to go, only to stop and turn around when Regina spoke.

"That's what we're doing. Just keep out of this, dear." She ordered sweetly. "And, since I clearly can't keep you away from my son...I guess I'm just gonna have to keep my son away from you." She snapped, grabbing Henry's hand and pulling him with her. "Enjoy my shirt." She added when she passed Emma, who simply raised an eyebrow at her. "Because that's all you're going to get."

Regina turned her head to look at Graham, who was looking at the two women with a worried expression. "Sheriff. Find John Doe." Her voice softened and Lily sighed at the fake concern she put in her voice. "You heard Dr. Whale, time is precious."

With that, she stormed out of the ward, dragging a reluctant Henry with her. After several tense moments, Graham spoke, addressing Whale.

"Doctor, how long between your rounds since you last saw him?"

"Around twelve hours or so."

Lily snorted, drawing the attention of everyone present. She sneered up at the doctor. "That's so helpful, Doc."

Whale bristled but, Graham intervened, shooting Lily a dirty look that she ignored.

"Then that's what we need to account for." With that, he headed out of the ward and, after shrugging at Emma, Lily followed behind Graham, Emma and Mary Margaret at her heels. They ended up in the security room, where Leroy and Walter were.

"You two were the only employees on the floor last night." Walter yawned deeply, smacking his lips, clearly unconcerned. "And you saw nothing?"

"Not a thing." Walter said and Graham looked over at Leroy, who was leaning on his broom.

Emma glanced between the two men. "Did anyone walk by?" She directed the question at Leroy, as Walter looked ready to fall over in his seat.

The burly man shrugged one, leaning more on his broom. "I didn't see nothin'."

"Ms. Blanchard, was there anything unusual you saw during your trip with you class?" Graham asked Mary Margaret, as the two men were clearly no help whatsoever.

She shook her head before looking to Lily. "I don't think so, did you Lily?"

The teen shook her head as well, giving Graham a shrug when she saw the expression on his face. "Honestly, I was practically comatose myself."

"We're looking at the wrong tape." Emma stated, suddenly and she moved forward towards the monitors. "This is the ward where Henry's class put up decorations." She seated herself in the chair next to Walter and pointed at the screen in front of her as the rest of us crowded behind her. "If this was really the tape from last night, we'd see the banner the kids hung."

"You fell asleep again." Leroy scoffed at his co-worker, who immediately bristled.

"You sellin' me out?"

"I ain't gettin' fired for this." Leroy shot back, glaring at Walter.

"At least I don't drink on the job."

"Gentleman!" Graham said, holding his hands up between them before their little fight could escalate further. Lily ignored them and moved closer to Emma, pushing Walter out of the way and ignored his annoyed grunt. "Enough, where's the real tape?"

Lily pushed several tapes out of the way until she found one marked yesterday's date and handed it off to Emma, who placed it in the VCR. The entire room was silent and they all watched the VCR whir, the screen filling with static before the picture popped up.

John Doe opened the doors to his section of the wing and stumbled out the exit door. Lily smiled softly while Mary Margaret let out a relieved sigh.

"Oh, he walked out alone. He's okay."

"Four hours ago." Emma muttered, looking over her shoulder at Leroy. "Where does this door lead?"

It was Lily who answered, her blood running cold. "The woods."

* * *

><p>Lily walked alongside Graham, leaving Emma and Mary Margaret to follow while she glared up at the Sheriff. he blinked at her ire before adopting an affronted look.<p>

"What did I do?" He asked resignedly. Lily only huffed and crossed her arms, looking away from him. "Fine, don't tell me." He sighed out before he picked up his pace.

Lily rolled her eyes and followed him down the small slope, catching his anxiety when he rushed towards a spot at the end of the slope.

"What is it?" Mary Margaret followed Emma down the slope to where Graham was crouched down, touching the disturbed dirt.

"The trail runs out here." Graham admitted, earning a scoff from Emma.

"You sure? 'Cause, I thought tracking was one of your skills." She dryly teased and he sent her an irritated glare.

"Just give me a second." He raised his hands, gesturing towards the woods. "This is my world, I got it." He stalked away from them and Lily rolled her eyes. She glanced around the area to see if he'd missed anything, as he hadn't been tracking in a while.

"Right, sorry." Emma offered, clearly not all that sorry. The two women began to talk and Lily ignored the conversation. She silently wished that she had her magic, though she knew it was only a matter of time.

She whirled around when a branch snapped, followed by footsteps. Her eyes snapped shut, the dream from the night before still too fresh in her mind.

"Henry!" Mary Margaret gasped, making Lily let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Shaking her head, she stepped towards Henry, who was carrying a flashlight bugger than his head.

"Did you find him yet?" He asked, ignoring the look he was receiving from all three of the women surrounding him.

"No, not yet." Emma admitted, turning into 'mother-mode', as Henry had decided to call it. "You shouldn't be here."

"I can help. I know where he's going." Henry protested.

Lily, ignoring Emma's pleading look, simply moved to stand next to him and placed an arm around him. She also silently resigned herself to catching more hell from Regina.

"And where is that?"

Henry smiled up at his teacher, his expression gleeful. "He's looking for you."

Hours later and, after much complaining from Henry, the group of five had been trudging through the almost pitch black forest.

"You're the one who woke him up, you're the last person he saw. He wants to find you." Lily winced when she caught sight of the irritation creeping onto Mary's otherwise patient face.

While tolerable at first, at least for Emma and Mary Margaret, Henry's optimism had slowly been grating throughout the night. Clearly unable to take it, Mary Margaret stopped and turned to face Henry, her voice surprisingly calm.

"Henry, it's not about me it's just...I think he's lost and confused. He's been in a coma for a long time." She said, clearly trying to pacify Henry.

Unsurprisingly, he wasn't having any of that. Lily groaned, longingly looking to where Graham had disappeared.

"But, he loves you. You need to stop chasing him and let _him_ find _you_."

Emma finally turned around to address Henry. "Kid, you need to go back home. Where's your mom? She's gonna kill me and then you," a grimace found its way onto her face and Lily smirked sardonically at her. "And then me again."

"And me too, since I'm here allowing him to cavort with you." The teen shot at Emma, only to receive a flat look in return. Emma turned her attention back to Henry.

"She dropped me off at the house and then went right out." He supplied. "Lily is usually with me this late on Saturdays."

Said girl just shrugged at the look Emma sent her. "Regina didn't have me follow so I assumed I wasn't needed tonight."

Emma just shook her head. "Well, we need to get you back immediately."

"No!" Henry nearly yelled, though his loud refusal was overshadowed when Graham called to them, his voice almost frantic.

"Guys?!" They all turned and went towards him, stopping dead when they all caugth sight of what his flashlight was aimed at. The medical bracelet rested innocently on a plant, though that wasn't what caused icy dread to form in Lily's stomach.

"Is that-" Mary Margaret began shakily.

"Blood." Lily finished.

* * *

><p>She glanced around, feeling Henry tense when a wolf howled in the distance and cursed silently. Lily knew that she probably should have taken him back to town before it got dark outside but, it was too late to do anything now.<p>

The trail Graham followed led them to the small creek next to the old troll bridge. Lily stopped by the waters edge with Henry as the others spread out to look.

"Where is he? Can you see him?" Clearly reaching the end of her rope, Lily had a feeling Mary Margaret was going to have a mini-breakdown at any time.

"The trail dies at the waterline." Graham said, turning around to check the area. He stopped when Mary Margaret suddenly began to yell.

"Oh my God! Oh my God, oh my God!" She ran into the stream and Lily gasped when she saw a body laying in it.

Graham began to yell into his radio while Emma rushed into the stream to help Mary Margaret. Lily pulled Henry into her embrace, hoping that he wasn't about to see his first dead body.

"I need an ambulance at the old Troll Bridge as soon as possible!" After yelling instructions, Graham rushed into the water to help Emma and Mary Margaret, though the latter was already taking charge of the situation.

"Careful!"

"Hang on, hang on! I got him, I got him."

Lily watched, still holding onto Henry as Graham grabbed the legs, Emma and Mary Margaret each grabbing an arm.

"I'm falling, I'm falling!" Clearly freaking out, Mary Margaret nearly dropped him as they carried him onto the shore. "Hold one, we need to slow down. Slow down." She repeated and, as they set him on the shore, she cupped his face. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no." She repeated the word like a mantra while Emma stared at her like she was crazy.

"I found you, it's gonna be okay." Mary Margaret promised, keeping her eyes on his face even when Graham spoke.

"Help's coming."

"Is he okay?" At Henry's voice, Emma reacted, though Lily quickly pulled him into her embrace and turned him away from the body. Ignoring Emma's attempts to take him from her.

"Henry, don't look, okay?" Lily whispered, soothing his hair and darting looks over her shoulder at the still body next to Mary Margaret. Lily turned back to the boy in her arms and tightened her grip. "Just, please don't look."

.Mary Margaret whispered something to the unconscious man and suddenly began doing chest compressions, grunting with the effort, Graham and Emma watching helplessly.

Henry tried once again to turn in Lily's grip, only for her to tighten it. "It's going to be fine, Henry." She soothed, her voice shaking as she realized that there was a very large possibility that it _wasn't_ going to be fine.

Mary Margaret was now doing mouth to mouth and nearly sobbing as she did so. After she seemed to give up, the man beneath her began to sputter, water flying from his mouth before he began to cough and wheeze.

Wide-eyed, Henry and Lily turned around as Mary Margaret stared down at the man, her eyes filled with wonder and her lips curling into a smile.

"You saved me." He whispered up at her, earning himself a wide smile as Mary Margaret exhaled shakily.

"She did it. She woke him up." Henry cheered, looking up at Lily with such a wide smile that she returned it. "She woke him up." He repeated, leaning against his baby-sitter.

"Yeah, kid. She did." Emma muttered, staring at the scene with wide-eyes.

"Thank you." Charming whispered, his voice hoarse.

Mary Margaret simply shook her head. "Who are you?"

He blinked, a confused expression sliding onto his face at her question. "I dont' know."

"It's okay." She whispered, pressing her cheek against his as sirens filled the air. "You're gonna be okay."

* * *

><p>"Watch your backs, he's coming through!"<p>

"Thanks guys, we got it from here." Whale said, pulling the gurney into the room and shut the door, blocking us from the room. Lily stood between Henry and Graham, staring into the room and blinked when an almost hysterical shout came from behind us.

The teen turned in time to jump out of the way as a pretty blond woman came running towards them, yelling at the top of her lungs.

"David! David, is that you?!"

She pushed her way into the room and was immediately pushed away from the bed by a doctor, though they didn't eject her from the room.

"Who is that?"

Regina answered Mary Margaret's question, her voice smug. "His wife."

Lily blinked at that, looking from Mary Margaret's now devastated face to Regina's viciously smug one. She glanced down at Henry and sighed, resting her chin on his head.

Lily had a horrible, sinking feeling, that she wasn't going to be sleeping for a while.

Henry and Lily sat down on the nearest chairs, Emma seating herself across from them while Regina and Mary Margaret remained where they were.

"His name is David Nolan and that's his wife Kathryn." Regina supplied, her voice dripping with sweetness. "And the joy on her face, well, it's put me in quite the forgiving mood." She chuckled, a smile adorning her red lips.

Emma sighed deeply, leaning back against her chair while Regina turned her attention to Henry and Lily.

"We'll talk about your insubordination later." She titled her head at Henry's confused look. "Do you know what insubordination means?"

His response was a shake of his head.

"It means you're grounded." Lily answered, her voice dry as she realized that if Henry was grounded, then she wasn't going to be doing much of anything for the next few weeks when she was with him. Henry slumped into his chair and Lily followed suit, glaring darkly at the Mayor. Her attention was drawn away from Regina when Kathryn walked out of the room.

"Thank you." She addressed a stunned Mary Margaret. "Thank you, for fixing my David."

"Um, I don't...I don't understand. You didn't...you didn't know he was in a coma?" Mary Margaret asked in disbelief and Kathryn sighed, guilt clouding over her features.

"A few years ago, David and I were...not getting along." She admitted, crossing her arms. "It was my fault, I know that now. I was difficult and unsupportive. I told him if he didn't like things, he could leave. And he did and I didn't stop him." She blinked back tears, clearing her throat. "It was the worst mistake I ever made."

"You didn't go look for him?" Emma asked, not bothering to keep the disbelief and accusation out of her voice.

"I assumed he'd left town all this time." Kathryn smiled blandly. "Now I know why I never heard from him. Now, I get to do what I've wanted to do forever-say 'I'm sorry'." She looked at Emma with a genuine smile. "Now we get a second chance."

Emma simply nodded, leaning forward onto her knees before shooting a concerned look at Mary Margaret, who was still standing rigidly.

"That's...wonderful." She offered to the blond, who smiled and nodded, turning when the door opened and Whale came out.

"Well, it's something of a miracle." The doctor announced to the room, looking oddly puzzled.

"He's okay?" Kathryn asked, turning around to face the man, who nodded.

"Physically, he's on the mend. Um, his memory's another issue, it may take time, if at all."

"What brought him back?" Lily asked, looking from Mary Margaret to Henry. The latter looked like he was about to explode.

"That's the thing, there's no explanation." Whale admitted. "Something just clicked in him."

"He just got up and decided to go for a stroll?" Emma asked, her voice skeptical.

"He woke up and he was delirious and...his first instinct was to go find something, I guess." The doctor shrugged, clearly at a loss for the reason behind the events.

"_Someone_." Henry piped up from beside Lily, who simply smirked at his smugness.

"Can I see him?" Kathryn asked and Whale nodded, opening the door for her.

"Yeah, of course." He shut the door behind her and walked past Regina, heading for the main part of the hospital.

"Henry, let's go." Regina commanded, looking from her son to the teen beside him. "Lily, we'll see you at noon tomorrow."

Lily nodded, wanting nothing more than to go home and try to sleep. She stood up, hugging Henry goodbye before she waved to Emma. When Lily passed her, she gently touched Mary Margaret's shoulder, though she barely responded.

Lily passed Regina, giving her an odd stare that she simply smiled innocently at before calling for her son again. Shaking her head, Lily simply stalked out of the hospital with a breath of relief.

It was time to go back to Granny's and, hopefully, not go through another sleepless night.

* * *

><p><strong>Thoughts? Comments? Questions?<strong>


	4. The Price of Gold

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot and any unrecognizable characters and dialogue.**

**Thank you for the reviews, faves and follows!**

* * *

><p><em>Lilith and Rumpelstiltskin watched as a ragged dressed girl swept despondently at the ground. The dark-haired girl turned to look at her mentor, brow creased in confusion.<em>

_"Why are we spying on a maid?" She asked, boredom dripping off her voice. This was one of the few times she'd been called back to Rumple and she felt they were wasting it._

_The golden-eyed man simply smirked, practically twiddling his thumbs. "You'll see." He waved a hand back at the girl._

_As they watched, a glowing ball of gold slowly fluttered towards the girl. Lily watched as, between one blink and the next, the ball of light grew into a full-sized fairy._

_"Do not despair my dear, you will attend that ball." The dark-skinned fairy soothed with a smile._

_The girl dropped her broom with a loud clatter, her eyes wide in shock. "Who are you?"_

_"I'm your Fairy Godmother and I'm here to change your life Cinderella."_

_Lilith raised an eyebrow at the name but held her tongue. Rumple, now nearly twitching with excitement, continued to stare at the fairy. _

_"But...my stepmother told me that I couldn't go." Cinderella stuttered out the protest. "She forbade me to leave."_

_"Your stepmother doesn't have this." The fairy produced a golden wand from the folds of her dress and Rumple perked up at the sight of it. The fact that he'd dragged her out here to get another trophy didn't bother Lilith as much as it should. "This wand has the power to take you to your ball, to your prince and to-" _

_With a flick of Rumple's wrist, the fairy stopped mid-sentence and exploded in a shower of gold dust._

_"What?!" Cinderella nearly shrieked. Her eyes widened when Lilith and Rumple stepped into the light and she backed away hastily. "What did you do?"_

_"Now, now." Rumple tsked as he kneeled to pick up the wand. Lilith winced at the scraping sound it made. "I got what I wanted. There's no need to be frightened."_

_"You just made a fairy explode." Lilith muttered under her breath flatly._

_"No need?" Cinderella echoed, her eyes wide with fright. "You just killed my fairy godmother. She was trying to help me."_

_"Was she?" Rumple questioned lightly. He brought the wand to eye-level and tilted it back and forth, his voice sing-song. "Do you know what this is?"_

_Cinderella, to Lilith's chagrin, eyed the wand hungrily. Having experienced first-hand the penalties of magic, she resisted the urge to move the girl far away from here._

_"Pure magic." Cinderella breathed out, her expression falling when Rumple pulled the wand towards him._

_"Trust me, I've done you a favor, all magic comes with a price." He assured before he handed the wand to Lilith. She took it and slid it into her cloak pocket silently. "Go on back to your life, and thank your lucky stars you've still got something to go back to."_

_"My life...it's wretched." Cinderella shook her head despondently. _

_Lilith sighed inwardly, quickly catching on that Rumple had more in mind that murdering an innocent fairy._

_"Then change it." Rumple snapped at the girl. "You can't handle this." With that, he spun on his heel and began to stalk away. Lilith followed, not sparing the girl another glance._

_"Wait." Cinderella stepped into their path. "Please, wait." She pleaded, standing in front of Rumple. "I can handle it, please. I will do anything to get out of here, anything."_

_"Anything." Rumple repeated, his eyes lighting up in glee when Cinderella nodded, looking at him with uncertainty._

_"Do you know how to use that wand Mister..." She trailed off awkwardly._

_"Rumpelstiltskin." He bowed low, flourishing his hands out. "And yes," he straightened, tone offended. " Of course I do."_

_"Then help me." Cinderella practically commanded._

_Lilith smirked at that, amused that the woman had some fire in her. She stiffened at that though, pushing away the pain that threatened to cripple her._

_"Well, if I do and you can indeed shoulder the uh...consequences." Rumple moved closer to Cinderella. "Then you'll owe me a favor." He strutted around her and eyed her appraisingly._

_"Name it." Cinderella stated, turning to face him. "What do you want?" _

_Rumple leaned his face closer to hers, unable to hide the glee from her answer. "Something precious." He whispered and her brows drew together in confusion. _

_"But, I have nothing." _

_He smirked in response, looking unconcerned. "Oh, but you will. With this wish will come more than you know."_

_"I care nothing for riches. I'll give you anything, just get me out of here." She affirmed and Rumple's grin became even larger._

_"Now we're talkin'." He held his hand out behind him. "Dearie, the wand." _

_Lilith plucked the wand from its placed and handed it off to him. Cinderella finally took in the other person, the cut of the cloak marking her as female._

_"Who are you?" The blonde asked warily, only for Rumple to cluck his tongue._

_"I believe we have business, dearie." He reminded her, drawing her attention from his apprentice._

_"Well, how does it work?" The blonde asked, once again staring hungrily at the wand _

_"Fear not, my needs are small." Rumple teased with a grin. "And all you have to do," He twisted his wrist downwards, a long contract rolling from his palm. "Is sign of the dotted line. Now, do we have a deal?"_

_Cinderella began nodding almost frantically, a grin blossoming on her face. "Yes." She gasped out. "Yes, thank you!"_

_Rumple handed the contract to her and turned around, kneeling so she could sign the paper on his back. She raised the quill to the scroll and signed it quickly. When she finished, Rumple twisted around and acceptd the scroll. He handed it to Lilith, who simply rolled it up before she twisted her hand, making the scroll disappear._

_With a wave of the wand, dark purple smoke began to surround Cinderella with a soft 'whoosh'. When it cleared, Lilith and Rumple admired his handiwork as Cinderella began to look at herself in delight._

_Her pale face was flawless and her once messy hair was now in curls, piled on the top of her head and adorned with a glittering, diamond tiara. A beautiful blue ball gown had replaced her ratty dress, gloves of a lighter shade adorned her arms. Diamonds matching the tiara glinted on her throat and neck. _

_"There." Rumple whispered, clearly pleased with his handiwork._

_Cinderella smiled at him, her attention drawn to the ground where glass slippers rested._

_"Glass?" She questioned, almost incredulously._

_Lilith nodded, speaking softly. "Every story needs a memorable detail."_

_"And how about we see how they look?" Rumple prodded with a small smirk._

_Cinderella beamed at them, lifting the hem of her dress to slip her dainty feet into the delicate shoes. Once done, she dropped her gown and smiled breathlessly at the man before her._

_"Now, have a good time," Rumple encouraged, raising a finger in warning. "But be sure to watch the clock." He almost trilled the last sentence._

_With another nod, Cinderella turned to leave with a breathless gasp as the bell tolled in the distance. Rumple let out a delighted giggle before strolling off towards the darkness, Lilith at his side. _

_She glanced at him before asking the question she was dying to know. "What did she just promise you?"_

_His answering grin showed all of his teeth and Lilith had to hold back a chuckle at his answer._

_"Her first-born child."_

* * *

><p>"Are you sure we should be out in the open?" Henry asked as they walked down the sidewalk, the bell tolling behind them.<p>

Lilith glanced at Emma and smirked. The blonde looked ready to spit nails.

"Enough sneakin' around. If your mom has a problem with me walking you to the school bus, I am more than happy to have that chat." She waved an arm around wildly.

Lily raised an eyebrow at her wild gestures but chose to say nothing on the subject. "Careful what you wish for." She mocked instead, earning an annoyed glare from Emma.

"You're brave." Henry piped up from between them, his small face pleased. "You'll need that for Operation: Cobra. Speaking of, do you think we need code names?"

"Isn't Cobra our codename?" Emma raised an eyebrow at Henry.

Lily sighed, adjusting the purple scarf that was wound around her neck. "That's the mission, he means us."

"I need something to call you." Henry added as they walked along the sidewalk.

"Oh, umm...well, I don't...you can just call me Emma for now." The blonde stuttered, looking mildly bewildered.

Lily snorted, unable to stop herself and Henry gently elbowed her. When they arrived at the bus stop, he hugged his baby-sitter, sent her a mock glare, and turned to Emma.

"Okay, well then I'll see you later, _Emma_." He teased, turning to follow the other kids up into the bus.

Lily waved an arm after him, smiling softly before she glanced at Emma. The blonde was looking at her with a confused expression.

"What?" Lily snapped peevishly, not really appreciating being gawked at.

Emma blinked once, shrugging her shoulders. "You look different." She tilted her head, eyes widening. "Are you wearing make-up?"

Lily huffed. "How observant." Irritated that she'd let Ruby attack her with make-up, Lily vowed to make her friend reign herself in next time. The brunette turned to go, her heart slamming against her ribcage when Graham swung up in front of her and Emma. As the siren blared, Lily glared balefully at the bearded man when he stepped out of his car.

"What's with the siren?" Emma asked flatly, her stance matching Lily's.

Graham smiled sheepishly, shrugging his broad shoulders at the displeased expression on their faces. "It's so hard to get your attention."

When Emma smiled at his attempt of flirting, Lily let out a noise of disgust. Turning around, the dark-haired teen stalked away from the awkward adults.

"Well, if you'll excuse me I need to go and vomit before I get to work.

* * *

><p>"Any reason you look as if you just kissed an ogre?"<p>

Lily slowly turned her head to stare at Gold, eyebrows going as high as humanely possible. "What?" She managed, disgust falling from her words.

He simply chuckled, flashing her a grin before he limped across the store, rearranging display pieces. "Your face," he waved a hand around his face mockingly.

Lily all but hissed at him, though it lacked heat and he knew it. Chuckling softly, he reached over to pat her head.

"You look like you swallowed a particular nasty elixir." He commented, a faint tremble of laughter in his voice.

Lily ducked from his hand, though a smile found its way onto her lips. She was grateful that, despite Emma's arrival and the return of their memories, their relationship was a strong as ever.

They spent the rest of the work day cataloging and rearranging items. As she looked through dusty boxes, her fingers made contact with a familiar material. Eyes wide, she gripped onto the cloth before she tugged it from the box and shook it out.

A pied cloak rested innocently before her. _His_ pied cloak.

Letting out a soft shriek, Lily jumped away from the cloak like it had burned her. Slamming into the nearest shelf and nearly knocking it over, she crumpled to the floor in shock.

Gold rushed into the room, wheezing from the strain on his leg. He kneeled down at her side, pressing a hand to her cheek. "Lillian, what is it?"

"What the hell is _that _ doing here?" She gasped out, one finger pointed at the cloak on the ground.

Gold's confused eyes looked from her devastated features and the cloak. Comprehension suddenly dawned on his own and he quickly helped her to the couch in the back room.

"It came over when the Curse hit," he waved a hand distractedly. "It was laying around somewhere in the Enchanted Forest." He pinned me with a bemused look. "Why does it bother you?"

Lily looked down. Her past wasn't something she really wanted to discuss with Gold. Especially since it concerned _him_. "It's nothing."

She spent the rest of the day in silence. Gold's attempts to draw her from the wall she'd escaped behind failed each time. He eyed his ward, taking in the stiff set of her shoulders and frowned. Lillian, while snarky and rather closed off, had never reacted to anything the was she reacted to the Pied Piper's cloak.

When it was time for her to collect Henry from school, she rushed out of the shop. Throwing one hand behind her shoulder as a farewell, she gripped the cloak in the other so tightly her hand shook.

All Henry took was one look at Lily before he grabbed her free hand tightly. "Come on, you need some chocolates."

As he tugged them to his house, Lily finally allowed a small smile to form on her lips.

There were some days that she really loved this little boy.

* * *

><p>Lily ended up spending the night at the mayor's house. Regina had been nearly over the moon, since Lily was the only one that could draw such a positive response in her son. With Regina upstairs, Henry and Lily cuddled on the couch, reading from his book as she added details to the stories she knew by heart.<p>

Heading back to the inn early in the morning, Lily arrived back at Henry's just in time for Regina's departure for a 'city council meeting'.

"I know you think otherwise," Regina opened her lipstick, spreading the red

on her lips as she looked into the mirror in the hall. "But, I don't enjoy these

Saturday City Council meetings. They're just unavoidable." She snapped the tube

closed and cleared her throat. Turning to face Henry and Lily at the dining room table, she continued. "Now, you know the rules."

"Yes on homework, no on tv and stay inside." Henry repeated, his tone rather lackluster.

Regina smiled and reached over, gently touching his cheek. "Good boy." Her tone hardened. "Under no circumstances do you leave this house."

"You mean don't see my mom."

Lily huffed at Henry's lack of tact while Regina's face tightened.

"She's not your mother," the woman sighed. "She's just a woman passing through. Now," She gave Lily a warning glance. "Do as I say or there will be consequences." She sighed again and turned to the door. "I'll be back at five o'clock sharp."

As the car pulled away, Lily silently counted the seconds in her head. She made it to six before Henry shot out of his seat. With a resigned sigh, the teen followed her charge out the door after he'd collected his coat and backpack.

"Mary Margaret's?" She questioned as they rushed down the sidewalk. He nodded before speeding up, leaving Lily with little choice but to follow suit.

As he bounded up the stairs to the loft, Henry pushed the door open without knocking. "Hey, Emma I was thinking we-" He stopped dead and Lily almost ran into him. She glanced over his dark head to see Gold in the loft with Emma.

"Hey, Henry." Lily's boss smiled at Henry while the boy stared at him. "How are you doing?"

Lily raised an eyebrow. "Gold, why are you here?" She asked, her eyes going wide when the hair near his temple shifted. A thin, red line marked his skin and she stepped around Henry towards him. "What the hell happened?"

He brushed her hands away with a soft mutter of 'later' before looking expectantly at Henry, who was staring at the pawnbroker in bemusement.

"Umm...Okay?" Henry supplied in response, earning a chuckle from Gold.

"Good. Give my regards to your mother and," he started for the door, glancingback at Emma. "Uh, good luck Ms. Swan." He left, leaving the three staring after him.

Once the door shut, Henry nearly pounced on Emma. "Do you know who he is?"

Emma shot him a weird look as she went to her meager collection of possessions in the small corner.

"Yeah, of course I do."

Henry followed her, looking mildly relieved. "Who? 'Cause I'm still trying to figure it out."

"Henry." Lily let out a short huff. "You know who I am, you should be able to work out who Gold is."

He blinked up at his baby-sitter while Emma's mouth fell open into a small 'o'.

"Oh, I meant in reality." She explained sheepishly, turning back to her boxes

and rifling though them.

"Is that all you brought?" Henry asked. Lily tsked at his lack of tact though reigned in the urge to flick his ear.

"Henry," Emma sighed deeply, looking at her boxes. "What are you doing here?" She turned accusing eyes onto the teen, making Lily bristle indignantly. "Lily, why did you let him come here?"

"You try to stop him." Lily hissed back, smirking when Emma made a 'fair enough' motion with her shoulders.

"My mom's gone until five." Henry spoke up from between them, his voice hopeful. "I thought we could hang out."

As expected, Emma softened immediately. Standing, bringing yet another leather jacket, blue this time, with her, she smiled sadly at her son. "Aww, kid I wish I could but there's something I gotta do." She started for the door and the stairs, Henry trailing after her and nearly begging.

Lily sighed and shut the door, wondering why she was always dragged along with these schemes. "Who are you after?" She asked, contemplating the choice of leaving Henry with Emma.

"Ashley."

Lily froze at that. Her grip on the bannister tightened as she nearly stumbled down the stairs. Straightening, she rushed to keep up with the duo, dead-set on going along with Emma now.

"Please let me help." Henry tried as they arrived at Emma's yellow bug.

"No." Emma sent Lily a pleading glance, earning a shrug in response. "No, it could be dangerous."

"The pregnant maid is dangerous." Henry deadpanned incredulously.

"She assaulted Mr. Gold." Emma defended, her brows drawn together.

"Cool!"

Lily clapped a hand over Henry's mouth, glaring down at him disapprovingly. "Don't make me take away your comic books." She warned, earning a pout before Emma drew back their attention.

"This isn't a game." The blonde snapped. "She's desperate."

"How do you know?" Henry challenged stubbornly.

"Because I know." Emma countered, opening the door to her car as Henry walked to the other side. Lily followed, nudging him over.

"Well, then let's find her."

"Oh, no, no, no there is no 'let's'. You cannot come with me." Emma ranted as Henry proceeded to stare her down.

Lily, however, simply groaned before dropping her head onto the top of the car. Lack of sleep was starting to make her brain feel like it was fried.

"Then I'll look for her myself." He offered and while Lily usually enjoyed watching arguments, she really didn't want to waste time trying to find her friend.

"Then I'll find you and I'll bring you back." Emma countered, crossing her arms and looking far too smug.

"Then you wouldn't be helping the maid." Lily couldn't help but point out, watching as Emma's face colored.

"I am just trying to be responsible here!" She sputtered out.

"And _I'm_ just trying to spend time with you." Henry guilt-tripped.

While she silently approved of Henry's tactics, Lily simply slid into the car muttering. "Well, _I'm_ just trying to stay out of this."P

"Oh, that is really not fair." Emma groaned out in defeat as she opened her door and slid in to the car.

Henry followed suit, plopping himself down onto Lily's lap with a smug smirk.

"So, the maid. What's her story?"

* * *

><p><em>Lilith smiled and clapped as Cinderella and Thomas descended the steps to the ballroom. Soon enough, Lilith was swept into a dance by Snow. As the two spun around, Charming quickly swooping in and twirling the younger woman around.<em>

_Lilith laughed as Charming spun her into a low dip before she was twirled towards Snow and Ella. Grasping hands, the three women spun around._

_"I'm so happy you could come too." Ella breathed out before both Lilith and Snow were swept away by Thomas and Charming respectively._

_I'm proud of you too." _

_Lilith stopped mid-spin and turned to see her mentor waltzing with a stricken Ella. As Thomas gently tugged her back into the dance, Lilith strained to listen to the conversation._

_As she watched Ella grow more and more tense, Lilith spun away from Thomas and approached the awkward couple. She made it in time to hear Gold's parting words._

_"Your firstborn." He spun a horrified Ella towards Lilith. Sending them both a wink, he calmly strutted away through the crowd as the bride clung to Lilith like a life-line._

* * *

><p>"So this boyfriend of hers, you don't think he's involved in her disappearance?"<p>

Ruby stacked the dishes on the table before sharing a disgusted look with Lily. "Uh, that would mean that he was involved with her at all, which he isn't." She pointed out as she wiped down the table.

"He dropped her flat on her arse right after they found out they were expecting." Lily explained, leaning against the doorway of the Diner.

"Hasn't spoken to her since. Like I said he's a-Hey, hey, hey!" Ruby broke off, teetering towards the street when Bill nearly dropped her car from the tow-truck. "Bill, be careful." She pouted, her voice turning sultry. "You almost shattered my wolf-thing. It's good luck."

"I'm sorry, Ruby." Bill called, looking abashed as he pointed towards the swinging, red, glass wolf. "But look, it's fine."

Ruby smiled at him tilting her head playfully before Emma commanded her attention again.

"Uh, Ruby what about her family?"

"Oh, uh." Ruby turned, blinking before her lips curled up in disgust. "She's got a stepmom and two step sisters that she doesn't talk to."

"Wait, stepmom, stepsisters _and _she's a maid?" Henry asked, nearly bouncing with excitement.

"Henry, not now." Emma ordered, looking at Ruby and Lily expectantly.

"Look," Lily suddenly snapped as she crossed her arms. "I don't know what you've heard but it's wrong."

Ruby quickly added. "Everyone thinks she's not ready to have this baby but she's trying-taking night classes, trying to better herself, trying to get her life together." She looked at Emma earnestly, her made-up face sincere. "Can you understand that?"

"I think so."

The sincerity made her eyebrow raise but Lily stayed silent, allowing Ruby to snap like a wolf.

"Then maybe you should just stay out of it, she's been though enough." Ruby hissed out, her typical attitude back. She yanked up her tray and stalked to the door where Lily sent her a quick nod.

Emma, clearly unwilling to let sleeping dogs, or wolves, lie quickly stopped the waitress. "I've been through it too Ruby and I can help her."

"Then try her ex."

"Where can I find him?"

Lily shared another glance with Ruby before she sighed, earning Emma's attention.

"He lives with his dad."

* * *

><p>After a disastrous meeting with Sean and his asshole of a father, Emma was now driving back to Granny's and was royally pissed off.<p>

"You can't make her double-cross Mr. Gold." Henry's frantic voice came from the back seat. "No one's ever broken a deal with him."

"Happy to be the first. If Ashley wants to have this baby she should have it." Emma snapped before she rounded on Lily. "And why the hell didn't you tell me Lillian?"

Lily bristled at the accusing tone and her eyes narrowed in annoyance. "It wasn't my place to tell." She forced out through stiff lips.

"Well, anyone who wants to be a mother should damn well be able to be one." Emma announced as she pressed harder on the gas.

Several minutes later, Emma stalked into Granny's where Ruby was wiping down

the bar. She glanced up when the bell rang and caught Lily's eyes, making the other woman slump with relief at the slight nod.

"Why didn't you tell me she sold the baby?" Emma demanded in a furious whisper when she reached the bar.

Ruby sent her a flat, irritated look. "Because I didn't think it was important and I thought maybe Lily would tell you that little detail."

"Thanks, Ruby." Lily hissed at being thrown under the bus. Ruby simply smirked.

"Really?" Emma asked dryly. "Considering that's why she's running away."

"Look, Ashley is our," Ruby gestured to herself and Lily. "Friend. We don't like the idea of people judging her."

Emma sighed, shaking her head. She frozen, catching sight of the wolf charm from Ruby's car. "Ruby," she started slowly, looking out the window to see the spot where Ruby's car had been earlier. "Where's your car?"

Ruby simply sighed, leaning on the bar as Lily perched herself on it. Emma turned back to them, her eyes accusing.

"You didn't send me to Sean to find her, you sent me there to give her a head start."

"Look," Lily hissed, her hackles rising. "We're only trying to help her."

"Yeah, so am I." Emma countered. "Ashley's in more trouble than you know. Ruby, where is she?" Emma lowered her voice slightly. "Don't make her break her deal with Gold without me."

Ruby shot Henry a glance, her lips twisted in apprehension. "I can't talk in front of him, he's the mayor's kid."

"Hey! I'm on your side and Lily is practically Gold's _kid_!" Henry defended, puffing up like distressed bird. Lily forced back a smile at _that _visual image.

Ruby simply looked at him flatly in response before she stalked to the other end of the bar.

"Henry..." Emma touched his shoulder and pulled him aside, lowering her voice. "I need to find this woman and in order to do that, I need you to go home okay? So, please listen to me." She shook her head when his mouth opened, not letting him protest. "Seriously, she's not gonna tell us anything if you're around."

"Okay." Henry nodded finally, his shoulders slumping when he turned to go. Ruby meandered back own the bar as he reached the door.

"Thank you." Emma called to her son and turned back to the bar expectantly.

Ruby sighed and leaned against the counter again, her voice barely above a whisper. "She left town. Said she was gonna try Boston, thought she could disappear there."

"How long ago did she leave?"

It was Lily's turn to sigh. "Probably bout half an hour ago."

Emma nodded and took off. Lily quickly muttered a 'thanks' to Ruby before she took off after the blonde. Lily jumped into the bug just before Emma sped away from the diner and towards the outskirts of town.

"What'd she tell you?"

Lily nearly shrieked and clutched at her chest as Emma jumped. The blonde looked in her rearview mirror to see Henry in the back. "Henry, what the hell?"

Lily spun in her seat accusingly. "You almost gave me a heart attack!" She hissed at him, glaring when he simply shrugged it off.

"Henry, we're going to Boston, you can't come with us." Emma stated firmly.

"You can't go to Boston." Henry responded, looking to Lily. "She can't leave and neither can Lily. Bad things happen to anyone that does."

"I don't have time to argue with you over the curse, I have to get you home."

Henry shook his head, his face paler than usual. "We have to stop her before she gets hurt, we're wasting time."

"He's right, Emma." Lily nodded in agreement with Henry, making Emma's eyes widen. "Awful things happen to people that try to cross the town line."

"If you drop me off you'll never catch up to her." Henry added as Emma looked between them.

"Henry..."

"Then Mr. Gold will call the police and he'll have her sent to jail."

Emma let out a deep exhale before she nodded at her son, her face grave. "Buckle up."

Henry hastened to follow her instructions while Emma, thankfully, focused on driving again.

"Ashley, what the hell did you get yourself into?"

* * *

><p><em>"Why are we down here?" Ella asked as the latch on the heavy door clicked. The group quickly descended into the mines, following Lilith and Grumpy.<em>

_"We need a place to keep him." Thomas answered, his arm around his pregnant wife as they traveled further into the tunnels._

_"Rumpelstiltskin is the most dangerous man in all the realms; he needs his own special prison. So, we converted the mines to hold him." Charming explained calmly._

_"But, how will we get him here? He's eluded all forever." Ella fretted, hands cradling her swollen belly._

_Grumpy glanced at the quiet sorceress, bushy brows creased. "Well, we have Lilith." _

_She shot the burly man a glare, hissing a reply. "I told you I'm not helping you capture him, Grumpy." She looked around at all of them, exasperated that this needed to be explained yet again. "I told you, his greatest strength is also his weakness-making deals."_

_"He can't resist making them and we already know who he wants to deal with next-you." Grumpy finished for her, nodding his head at the pregnant blonde._

_"We've sent word with one of Snow's blue birds." Charming placed a gentle hand on Ella's tense shoulder. "He's accepted a meeting with you. You're going to tell him that Doc heard something with his stethoscope-two heartbeats."_

_Charming removed his hand for Thomas' to take its place. "You're going to tell him it's twins."_

_"And if he wants both." Charming added._

_"Which he will." Lilith affirmed, expression grim._

_Charming shot her a short glance. "You propose a new deal. Grumpy."_

_The dwarf pulled a small, wooden box from his cloak. He opened it, revealing a flamboyant looking quill. Ella blinked at it before looking at them, one hand cupping her rounded stomach._

_"A Quill? I-I don't understand." Her face filled with doubt while Lilith and Grumpy exchanged doubtful looks. This entire plan hinged on whether or not Ella could be a convincing actress and so far, they weren't very convinced._

_"The Blue Fairy cast a spell on it." Charming offered._

_Lilith shot him a flat look, as that simple explanation had done nothing to assure the expectant mother. "Ella, whoever signs with this quill will be frozen, and their magic will be rendered impotent." She ignored the slight pain in her heart. "Rumpelstiltskin will be powerless and defenseless."_

_Ella continued to stare at the quill. Charming quickly spoke again, clearly trying to reassure her of the plan._

_"All you must do is get him to sigh the contract, Ella." His words turned fierce. Lilith simply ignored them, as she always did when people spoke ill of her mentor. No matter if the words were true. "This man is a scourge, you will be doing the entire land a service."_

_"Should we even use magic? Isn't that what's causing these problems to begin with? What if this magic also has a price?" She shot off the questions._

_Lilith shared another glance with Grumpy. The idea of Lilith herself setting up this contract was growing more and more tempting. Ella's inability to remain unflustered certainly wouldn't improve by the next night._

_"Then I will pay it. I will do whatever is needed to save you and our child." Thomas swore, making some of the tension in Ella's shoulders dissipate._

_"Let's go." _

_They all followed Grumpy further into the mines, stopping in front of a cell. Lilith gestured to it with her hand as Grumpy did the same with his torch._

_"I hope you like it. A lot of Dwarf blood went into it." He muttered darkly as Ella approached it._

_Lilith sent him an annoyed stare. "Grumpy!" She hissed out in warning._

_Ella paid no mind, continuing to examine the cell. "You're sure this will work?"_

_"Once he's in there, he'll never get out. You'll be safe." Charming promised, looking at the cell in disgust._

_Thomas came up behind his wife, placing a hand on her shoulder "We can do this Ella." _

_She inhaled deeply and nodded once, her blue gaze fierce._

_"Okay, let's get him."_

* * *

><p>"I told you!" Henry pointed over Lily's shoulder towards Ruby's car, abandoned on<p>

the side of the road. Before Emma had even stopped the car, the teen jumped out of it,

calling for her friend. "Ashley!"

"Lillian!"

She rounded rounded the car and caught sight of Ashley on the ground, clutching her stomach. Lily sprinted forward, falling to her knees at her friend's side.

"Ashley, are you alright?!"

Ashley let out a sharp groan, doubling over in obvious pain. Lily's eyes widened before she yelled over her shoulder. "The baby's coming!"

Emma's face turned ashen as she began to sprint towards them. Ashley let out another cry of pain before she began to pant hard, her face flushed.

"Get her in the car." Emma commanded.

Needing no more prompting, Lily and Emma quickly helped Ashley up and into the front seat. Lily jumped into the back before Emma swung the car around and sped towards town.

"Is the baby really coming?!"

"No! She's just tired from running a bloody marathon!" Lily snapped back at Henry with more force than she meant. Though, considering Ashley, who had been clutching her hand, squeezed hard enough that something cracked, it was rather warranted.

"Oh, yeah." Emma stated, glancing back at them in the mirror before her eyes darted towards Ashley, who was panting and moaning in pain. "Don't worry, the hospital isn't that far."

"No, no, no, no." Ashley chanted, shaking her head wildly. Lily squeezed her hand, wincing when pain lashed down said fingers. "Take me to Boston, I can't go back there."

Lily winced at the desperate plea while Emma shook her head.

"Oh, no. We don't have four hours, trust me I know." She pressed harder on the gas while Ashley pleaded with her to turn around, her voice shaky and tearful.

"I can't go back there, please! He's gonna take my baby!" She sobbed, her shoulders shaking.

Lily leaned closer to her. "He's not taking anything else from you, Ashley. I promise."

Emma nodded in agreement, not taking her eyes off the road as they reached town. "He won't touch you." Emma swore, her tone hard. "I won't let that happen but do you know what you're asking for, Ashley? If you keep this child, are you really ready?"

Ashley nodded, her face tight with pain as another contraction hit. Lily held in her own cry of pain when the grip on her fingers tightened.

"Yeah." Ashley panted out.

"Are you sure?" Emma's voice took a frantic tone and her eyes misted over. "Because I wasn't."

At that, Lily chanced a look at Henry and frowned at the look on his face.

"You weren't?" Ashley questioned breathlessly, her eyes wide with shock.

Emma shook her head. "Nope. If you want to give this kid its best chance, it's gotta be with someone who's ready. So, know what that means. Your whole life is gonna change and once you decide that it's yours, this running away thing can't happen. You have to grow up and you can't ever leave, understand?"

Emma glanced back at Henry several times during her speech. He in turn squeezed Lily's hand several times while staring at his birth mother.

Ashley was nodding her head, her voice shaky but determined.

"Yes. I want my baby."

* * *

><p><em>Lily watched silently as Ella tried to get Rumple to sign the contract, keeping everyone cloaked in the area. If this took any longer, she was going to go and make him sign with the damn squid ink herself.<em>

_"I think it's more than fair." Ella stated, holding up the new contract._

_Rumple nodded vigorously. "Yes! Yes, yes it is." He chirped out, his eyes narrowing. "If what you're saying is true."_

_"It is." Ella affirmed. Lilith and Grumpy's eyebrows rose at who convincing the princess was being. "And all you have to do," she pulled out the quill and offered it to him. "Is sign on the dotted line."_

_"What a lovely quill." Rumple cooed, his gold eyes lighting up. "Wherever did you get it?" He plucked the quill from her hands, examining it slowly._

_Ella responded, her voice cool but edged with nerves. "It's from our castle." _

_Rumple tilted his head curiously. "You know the only way to stop me is through magic."_

_Lilith stiffened, earning worried looks from the rest of the group. The emotion coming off her mentor wasn't reassuring in the slightest._

_"I'm not trying to stop you." Ella chuckled, though it sounded forced to everyone listening._

_"Of course you're not." Rumple agreed. "Because as we all know, magic comes with a price, and if you were to use it to say...imprison me, then your debt to me would only grow. And we wouldn't want that now, would we." He placed the feather under her chin, smirking all the while._

_Ella jerked her head away from him. "Just sign the contract, please." She begged, her voice tired while Rumple smiled mockingly._

_"Are you sure you're happy with this new arrangement?"_

_Ella merely raised the contract in response, her lips compressed into a thin line._

_Rumple chuckled in response. "Then, so shall it be." He leaned forward and quickly signed the paper with a flourish. Immediately, the squid ink did its job and a glowing, blue light covered him from the neck down._

_"Thomas!" Ella pulled back from Rumple's frozen form. Lilith and Thomas rushed to her side._

_"No one breaks deals with me, dearie." Rumple snarled, staring at his frozen hand. Lilith held in a shiver at the malice in his tone. "_No one_." His eyes darted over to her, his lips twisting into a sneer. "No matter where you are, no matter what land you find yourself in, I assure you," _

_Thomas wrapped Ella in his arms as the horses drawing the cage came into the grove. Charming and Grumpy followed them, along with a platoon of guards._

_Lilith forced herself to stare passively at Rumple while he finished his threat towards the princess. _

_Golden eyes glinting, he finished with a soft snarl. "I _will_ have your baby."_

* * *

><p>Emma paced behind the collection of chairs while Henry stared at her thoughtfully. Lily was seated on a hospital bed near the far wall, currently having her hand wrapped by an overly chipper nurse.<p>

"You're lucky, dear." The nurse prattled on as she finished up binding Lily's, thankfully, unbroken hand. "Just a simple fracture."

"Great." Lily drawled out, snatching her hand from the woman. She eyed the woman, silently placing her as some type of animal. With a short thank you, Lily hopped down from the bed and stalked over to Emma and Henry.

Regina's selection of jobs or lives had been random fo the most part. The only people she'd actually put true thought into had been Snow, Lilith, Rumple, Charming, the Huntsman and herself. The others had been pushed into whatever category most suited their roles back in the Enchanted forest, some given ironic names while others were random.

Lily was pulled from her musings when Henry's voice reached her.

"You know, Emma, you're different."

Emma looked up at his words but continued to pace. Lily seated herself next to Henry, teeth set on edge at the blonde's grating behavior.

"What's that?"

"You're the only one who can do it." Henry continued.

"Break the curse? Yeah, I know." Emma answered distractedly, looking at the doors Ashley had gone through. "You keep telling me that."

"No, you're the only one who can leave Storybrooke."

Even Lily looked at Henry in surprise while Emma finally stopped pacing.

"You left and came and found me in Boston." She pointed out, only for Henry to shake his head.

"But I came back. I'm ten, I had no choice." He impatiently explained, his face filled with realization. "But, if anyone else tried to go, bad things would happen."

"He's right." Lily defended, looking up at Emma. The blonde turned her attention to the smug ten-year old.

"Anyone except...me?" She clarified slowly.

Henry nodded. "You're the Savior. You can do whatever you want." Emma slowly crouched down in front of him, her eyes wide. "You can go." Henry repeated, his voice small.

Before Emma could reply, a nurse came out of the double doors behind them.

"Ms. Swan?" Emma stood with a nod while Henry and Lily turned in their seats. "The baby is a healthy, six pound girl and the mother is doing fine."

Emma sighed happily while Lily hugged a smiling Henry to her side.

"What lovely news." Gold's voice washed over them. Lily turned to see him standing behind Emma, his face smug. "Excellent work, Ms. Swan." He praised, ignoring the way Emma's face tightened. "Thank you, for bringing me my merchandise."

* * *

><p><em>Lilith watched, arms crossed, as Rumple was loaded into the cage. Everything but his head was frozen and he was using that to his full advantage, having already threatened Ella several times already. <em>

_"Lilith!" Charming called her over, giving her the perfect excuse to abandon the happy couple. "How long will this last?" He asked once she reached the cart._

_Eyeing the glowing ink, Lilith answered calmly. "An hour, at the most." She drew her cloak closer, shivering at the sudden chill. "Squid ink doesn't last long in small quantities."_

_"Well, we best get to-" Grumpy began, only to stop mid-sentence when Thomas' voice carried over to them._

_"Ella, what is it?!" _

_Lilith spun around and sped towards them at the sight before her. Ella was hunched over in pain as Thomas fretted over her._

_"What's wrong?" The sorceress demanded once she reached Ella's side. Leaning down, she placed a hand on the blonde's swollen belly._

_"Oh, it's-it's the baby." Ella huffed out in pain._

_"What's the matter?" Thomas asked again, making Lilith want to gag him._

_"Something's wrong." Ella whispered softly._

_Lilith went stiff at that, Thomas doing the same._

_"No, no it can't be. It's too soon. It must be the-the stress, the excitement." He more begged than stated. He looked at Lilith for help, only for her to shrug helplessly._

_While she could heal most wounds, she hadn't been trained as a midwife. Nor did she particularly wish to be._

_"Oh." Ella gasped, letting out a whoosh of air. "I'm dizzy."_

_"Sit, sit." Thomas let her to a stone bench._

_She sat with a deep sigh, Lilith following her with glowing hands. Placing them on her belly, Lilith listened quietly as her magic sought out the unborn infant._

_"I'll go get you water." Thomas turned and ran towards the well, heading through the trees. _

_Lilith watched him go, an icy chill spreading down her spine. She turned to look at her mentor, noting the glint in his golden eyes._

_"Okay," Ella panted, sighing with relief as the pain passed. Lilith removed her hand, allowing Ella's to take its place. "Thomas, it's okay. It's passed." She called out to him, frowning when he didn't respond. "Thomas?"_

_Lilith stood, Ella following suit as the dark-haired woman closed her eyes. _

_"Oh, no." Lilith whispered softly._

_Ella inhaled deeply before she took off towards the well. "Thomas!" _

_Lilith followed, catching up to Ella just as she plucked Thomas' sash off a branch. "Thomas!" She stalked through the woods, her face filled with cold fury as she approached the cage. "What did you do?" Ella demanded, shrugging off Charming's hand when he approached._

_"What's wrong?" Charming glanced between Lilith and Ella._

_Grumpy soon joined with a worried expression. "You're highness, what happened?" _

_Ella ignored them and addressed Rumple again, her voice turning frantic. "What did you do with my Thomas?"_

_"I haven't done anything, in case you haven't noticed," he glanced down at himself with barely concealed amusement. "I've been otherwise engaged."_

_"Something happened to him. You know, tell me." She demanded, glaring fiercely at him while her grip on the sash tightened. _

_"I have no idea, dearie." Rumple countered airily. "But, I did warn you: All magic comes with a price." A smirk slid lazily onto his face and his voice lowered. "It looks like someone has just paid."_

_Charming, clearly sensing that Ella was about to bodily attack the smug man, gently pulled her away from Rumple. "Don't listen to him, we'll find Thomas." He assured, tensing when Rumple let out a shrill laugh._

_"No you won't! Until that debt is paid, until that baby is mine," His face turned hard and gleeful. Ella's, however, paled rapidly as she swayed on her feet. "You're never gonna see him again. In this world, or the next, Cinderella."_

_"No." Ella whispered brokenly. Lilith gently gripped her arm as the carriage holding the Dark One began to move away. _

_Rumple called back to her, making Ella go stiff in Lilith's arm as tears welling up in her eyes._

_"I _will have _that baby!"_

* * *

><p>Lily looked up from her hands, eyes narrowing when she realized what Gold and Emma were talking about. She chanced a look at Henry to see his eyes widen in shock as Gold's voice drifted over to them.<p>

"I thought it would makes sense...to you, I mean. If anyone could understand the reasons behind giving up a baby, it's you."

They watched Emma bristle at his words. "You're not gettin' that kid."

"Actually, we have an agreement." Gold replied calmly, leaning on his cane. "And my agreements, are always honored. If not, I'm going to have to involve the police and that baby is going to end up in the system and that would be a pity." He threatened, raising his eyebrows. "You didn't enjoy your time in the system, did you Emma?"

"That was low, Gold." Lily couldn't help but hiss out, only to be ignored. Henry shifted next to her, shaking his head when she turned to look at him.

"That's not gonna happen." Emma spat out with a glare.

Gold simply smirked in response. "I like your confidence. _Charming_." He mocked, his voice light. "But, all I have to do is press charges. She did, after all, break into my shop."

"Let me guess, to steal a contract." Emma countered smoothly, her eyebrow raising.

Gold shrugged. "Who knows what she was after."

Emma leaned closer to him, her voice low and harsh. "You know no jury in the world will put a woman in jail, who's only reason for breaking and entering, was to keep her child." She smirked when Gold didn't reply, only taking a sip from his coffee. She quickly pushed on. "I'm willing to roll the dice that that contract doesn't stand up, are you? Not to mention what might come out about you in the process."

She crossed ear arms and leaned back while Gold stared at her. Even though his face a mask of calm, Lily could tell inside he was seething.

"Somehow, I suspect there is more to you than a simple pawnbroker, you really wanna start that fight?"

Several heartbeats of silence greeted Emma's pronouncement. "I like you, Ms. Swan." Gold answered finally, a smile stretching across his face. "You're not afraid of me, and that's either cocky or presumptuous. Either way, I'd rather have you on my side."

"So she can keep the baby." Emma stated, completely ignoring Gold's words of praise.

"Not just yet, there's still the matter of my agreement with Ms. Boyd."

"Tear it up."

Lily rolled her eyes at Emma' suggestion. Even if she didn't have her memories, it was al too obvious that Gold wasn't the 'tear it up and forget about it' kind.

"That's not what I do. You see, contracts, deals-well, they're the very foundation of all civilized existence." He explained and Emma gave him a flat stare, unmoved by his words. "So, I put it to you. Now, if you want Ashley to have that baby, are you willing to make a deal with me?"

"What do you want?"

"Oh, I don't know just yet. You'll...owe me favor." He nodded, seemingly

pleased with his idea.

Lily, however, stared hard at him. She knew very well that there was no telling exactly _what_ Emma had just agreed to do for him

Emma extended her hand, grasping Gold's tightly.

"Deal."

"Hey, what's her name?" Emma asked from beside the door.

Lily was perched next to Ashley, softly cooing at the baby in her friend's arms.

"Alexandra." Ashley whispered, her face soft and loving.

Emma smiled in return, her voice soft. "That's pretty."

Ashley looked at the other blonde with a sigh, her face relieved. "Thank you for getting me here."

Emma nodded in response, smile still in place. Henry hovered behind her as Alexandra caught Lily's finger in her small fist.

"Mr. Gold was outside, I took care of it." Emma explained quietly.

Lily caught her friend's eye and nodded. "She's yours, Ash."

"She is?" Ashley asked, breathless with relief. At Emma's nod, her brow creased in concern. "What did you do?"

"Made a deal with him." Emma answered, clearly unconcerned with the bargain she'd struck or how it could come back to bite her in the arse.

"Thank you." Ashley whispered, her voice breaking. "Thank you."

Lily smiled wider, at least until she caught sight of the clock. "I really hate to break up this lovely moment, but it's almost five and I, for one, like my head being attached."

Emma reacted, spinning around and heading towards the door. Henry followed at her heels while Lily brought up the rear.

"We gotta get you home!" Emma grabbed Henry's shoulder as they exited the room.

Lily spun on her heel, waving towards a bewildered Ashley. "Bye Ash! I'll bring Ruby later."

* * *

><p>"Pumpkin." Emma stated suddenly. Lily and Henry blinked at her, sharing confused looks. "My codename," she explained at the sight of their blank looks. "I was thinking, in honor of Cinderella-pumpkin."<p>

Henry simply shook his head, earning a frown from the blonde.

"You got a better one?"

"Yep." When he made no move to elaborate, Emma raised an eyebrow. Glancing between him and the road, she prompted. "Well?"

He simply smiled, shaking his head again. "I'm not sure you're ready yet."

As Emma pulled up in front of Regina's, Lily nearly threw the door open. Urging Henry out of the car, Lily rushed up the sidewalk. "Go, go, go, go!"

"Henry, about what you said at the hospital." Henry stopped and turned to face Emma. "About me being able to leave?"

"Yeah?"

Emma smiled softly at him, her voice soft. "See you tomorrow."

"Okay, cute, now go!" Allowing him one last wave, Lily grabbed Henry's arm and tugged him to the door. Spilling into the house, she slammed the door before nearly falling up the stair. Henry quickly removed his shoes, leaving them behind on the stairs.

When they reached the top, Regina's voice echoed from the entryway. "Henry!"

Lily nearly slammed his door open, pushing Henry towards his bed before she gently shut the door behind her. Flying to the computer desk, Lily tossed Henry a comic book before she hopped onto the edge of his bed just in time for the door to open.

"Henry! What did I tell you?" Regina stood in the doorway. One hand held a sho while the other rested on her hip. "Do not leave your shoes on the stairs, someone would get hurt."

With that, she turned around and left the room. The door gently shut behind her and both released the breath they'd been holding.

Henry slumped against the headboard while Lily fell onto her back with a soft, muffled shriek.

"That was _far_ too close."

* * *

><p><strong>Thoughts? Comments? Questions?<strong>


	5. That Still Small Voice

"Oh no. No way in hell am I wearing _that_." Lily hissed, staring in distaste at the backless shirt Ruby was trying to force her into.

Ruby's lips were set in her infamous pout. "Come on! You're always wearing sweaters, you need to live a little!" She huffed as she eyed the shirt critically.

Lily rolled her eyes, not bothering to mention said sweaters were mostly see-through from the lace and knitting they were made of. "Yeah, see-through sweaters." She pointed out, earning a huff from her friend.

Ruby moved back, allowing Lily to hop off the bathroom counter. The 'make-over session' that Ruby had insisted upon was most certainly at an end. Thankfully, Lily had escaped it this time without looking like a clown.

Well, other than an overabundance of eyeliner around Lily's bright blue eyes. Ruby hadn't done too much damage, other than making Lily look like she had 'cat-eyes'.

"Well, this isn't so-" The ground rumbling beneath their feet cut off Lily's snarky reply. Letting out a shriek of shock, she stumbled towards the shower. A towel rack stopped her descent and she hung onto it for dear life until the shaking subsided. "What the hell was that?! Ruby?"

Lily righted herself, dusting off her clothes while she was at it. Looking around the bathroom, she tilted her head to the side when she caught sight of Ruby

"What was that?!" She brushed her clothes off and Lily shrugged, grabbing her sweater from the bed and yanking it on before she rushed to the door, Ruby at her heels.

"Let's find out."

Racing into the street, it became rather obvious that the entire town was heading towards the old mines. Inwardly, Lily questioned Regina's sanity in putting 'coal mines' in a town she based in Maine. From what she'd gathered since her memories had returned, there wasn't much coal in Maine.

As she and Ruby reached the sight of the quake, the latter gasped in shock at the large sinkhole. Unsurprisingly, a car quickly drove in and Regina stepped out of it. Hands up, she began to push the crowd back.

"Everyone! Step back, please!"

"Is that a crater?" Ruby demanded loudly as Marco came to stand beside Lily.

The old carpenter shook his head. "No, there were tunnels-old mines. Something collapsed."

Lily's attention, however, was drawn to Regina when she began to yell again.

"Sheriff, set up a police perimeter. Marco, why don't you help with the fire department?" Regina commanded, coming to a dead stop at the sight of Emma next to Graham. "Miss Swan, this is now official town business. You're free to go."

"Well, actually, I work for the town now." Emma responded flatly, tapping the badge attached to her belt.

"She's my new deputy."

Regina eyed Graham dangerously. "They say the Mayor's always last to know."

"It's in my budget." He offered weakly.

The mayor nodded. "Indeed." She turned to address Emma, smile empty. "Deputy, why don't you make yourself useful and help with crowd control?"

Giving Emma no chance to respond, Regina took a step back and addressed the crowd. Raising her arms again, she began to speak placatingly. "People of Storybrooke, don't be alarmed. We've always known this area was honeycombed with old mining tunnels. But fear not. I'm going to undertake a project to make this area safe-to rehabilitate it into city use. We will bulldoze it, collapse it, pave it."

Lily felt something brush past her before she saw Henry in front of the crowd.

"Pave it?" He repeated. "What if there's something down there?"

Regina's face paled before she stepped towards her son. "Henry. What are you doing here?"

"What's down there?"

Regina frowned, her voice low. "Nothing. Now step back. In fact, everyone!" She raised her voice as she stood up. "Please, please step back. Thank you."

Lily watched, smirking inwardly, as Regina leaned down and picked up a piece of glass. As she pocketed the item, Henry quickly stepped forward.

"What was that?" He demanded.

Regina sighed heavily. "Henry, enough. Listen. This is a safety issue." She looked around, making Lily attempt to hide behind Graham. "Lillian!" Regina called, making the brunette curse before she stepped forward.

"Yes, Regina?"

Regina nudged Henry towards his disgruntled baby-sitter. "Please, watch Henry for me."

Releasing an angry huff once Regina had turned her back, Lily pinned Henry with a dark stare. "You're so lucky I love you, kid." She muttered darkly as Henry smiled widely up at her.

"Love you more, sis."

"Deputy Swan, Sheriff-cord off the area."

As Lily dragged Henry towards Regina's car, they watched his mother boss everyone around.

"Well, she hasn't lost _that_ part of her personality." Lily mumbled, earning another sunny smile from Henry.

Before she could react, Henry left her side and made his way to Archie's. Heaving a deep sigh at having her day-off disturbed, Lily trailed after him.

"Hey, Archie! Over here." Henry whispered loudly, and obviously, as he crouched by the police car. "This requires all of Operation: Cobra." He announced as Emma, Archie and Lily joined him. "All of you.

"I didn't realize I was in Operation: Cobra." Archie sputtered out in surprise.

Lily simply crinkled her nose at him in annoyance. "Of course you are. You know everything. "

"We can't let her do this." Henry drew back the conversation's focus. "What if there's something down there?"

Emma shook her head, eyeing him oddly. "They're just some old tunnels."

"That just happen to collapse right after you get here?" He asked with a raised brow. "You're changing things. You're weakening the curse."

Emma sighed. "That's not what's happening."

"Yes, it is!" He defended. "Did you do anything different today? Cause something made this happen."

Lily watched as Emma glanced down at the deputy badge on her belt. Regina chose that moment to walk up to them, stopping any comment Lily could have made.

"Henry, I told you to wait at the car with Lillian." She lightly pushed him towards said car before looking to Emma. "Deputy, do your job."

Heaving another sigh, Lily wrapped her arm around Henry and lead him toward the car. Emma headed in the opposite direction while Archie went to leave as well.

Regina, however, called him back. "Dr. Hopper. A word, please?"

Lily turned around as she walked away, eyeing the conversation behind her critically. As she watched, Archie's face paled rapidly as Regina practically towered over the resident shrink. With an annoyed huff, Lily turned around and focused on the little boy before her.

"I know that look, whatever it is, don't do it." She warned at the sight of his expression.

"Don't worry," he assured her, unaware that his words were having the opposite effect. "I'm still in the planning stages." He directed another smile up at her. "Besides, I'll have you with me wherever I go, right?"

The hopeful expression on his little face made her heart melt and she nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Henry." Wrapping an arm around his shoulders, she leaned over and kissed the top of his head. "Yeah."

* * *

><p><em>"Lady Katerina."The man bowed to the dark-haired woman, quickly doing the same to the little girl who clutched at her skirts. "And, young Lady Lily." He smiled kindly at the little girl before pulled flowers out of nowhere. "For you, milady."<em>

_Delighted, the little blue-eyed girl giggled as she took the dark purple flowers. Smiling down at her child, Katerina gently shooed her to go play in the gardens. Straightening her skirts as Lily ran away, she turned to face the man before her._

_"What have you discovered?" She asked quickly as Lily's cries of delight reached their ears. Both looked to see the girl being tossed in the air by her laughing father._

_"Very little, I'm afraid." The man looked so apologetic that Katerina didn't find it in her heart to scold him. "It seems that a penchance for deals runs in their family."_

_The woman looked back to the gardens, a frown marring her features at the sight of her two children playing. Turning back to the man, she rubbed at her forehead._

_"Is there no way to contact the Dark One?" She asked, desperation beginning to get its hooks in her. "If there was a way for him to help break the contract...after all they are-"_

_"From what I've gathered, my lady, they haven't been on speaking terms in quite some time." He fiddled with his cuff. "Katerina," he began, dropping all pretenses. "I must ask, why would you make such a deal in the first place?"_

_She didn't reply for several heartbeats. Instead, she watched as her son chased his little sister around, love pouring from them both. Another coughing fit overcame her, this one loud enough to alert her husband, children, and the nearest guards._

_As they approached, she looked up to meet his eyes and smiled sadly. "There are no limits to what one does for their children." The hand she pulled away from her mouth was speckled with dark, nearly black blood. "More time to live and have children was all I wanted, so many years ago." Her eyes began to fill with tears. "But now, all I want is my child to be safe from _him_."_

_"Mama?" Lily asked as her mother began to sway from side to side. A scream of terror escaped her when her mama began to rapidly fall to the ground._

Worlds away, and many years later, Lily screamed as she woke up from yet another nightmare.

* * *

><p>"Lillian, are you alright, dear?" Regina asked, hand on Lily's shoulder as the girl raised her head. The bloodshot blue eyes that met hers had Regina pursing her lips. "Have you been having nightmares again?"<p>

Lily nodded, seeing no use in hiding it. While Regina was blissfully unaware that Lily had her memories, Lillian had been having nightmares since the first day they appeared in Storybrooke. Add in that she was a frequent overnight house guest and it was impossible to hide the nightmares from Regina.

"Yeah," she yawned out, barely able to keep her head from falling back on the mahogany table beneath her arms.

"Have you spoken to Archie? Or Gold?" Regina pressed, having been given the story that they were memories from 'Lillian's home life' before she became Gold's adopted daughter. While she knew Regina didn't buy that, Regina more than likely thought that Lily didn't actually remember the dreams or just lied about their contents.

"Well, much as I enjoy Archie's presence, his bumbling gets a little old." The teen admitted as footsteps signaled Henry's arrival. "And, well, Gold's as attentive as ever." She forced a smile when Henry appeared in the dining room. "I'm fine, Regina."

Nodding faintly, Regina continued to eye the baby-sitter worriedly. Lily rolled her eyes inwardly, aware that while Regina was concerned, it wasn't directed at her. Henry was the only person in the entire town that Regina cared for, and even _that _could be called into question sometimes.

No, more than likely, Regina just wanted to be sure that her son was being taken care of. Lily had, after all, taken care fo the boy since the week Regina had adopted him. While Regina had as well, the older Henry got, the less involved Regina had become. Lily supposed she could attribute that to the fact that Henry no longer depended on either of them for his basic needs.

As they exited the house to head to Henry's session with Archie, Lily attempted to not act like the dead walking. Henry's hand was the only thing that kept her grounded, especially with the nightmare from last night replaying in her mind.

She had nightmares about her childhood frequently. Not as much as nightmares about _him_, but often enough that she was used to it. However, she'd never had a nightmare about a conversation her mother had had that she didn't even know happened. Though she did know about the deal her mother spoke of, it still hurt to hear about it.

"Lillian?"

She blinked before looking down at the hand tugging on her sleeve. Henry was staring up at her, his face twisted with worry. She looked up to see that they'd arrived at Archie's building and sighed.

"Come on, the sooner we do this, the sooner I can convince Clark to give me sleeping pills." She half-joked, lightly nudging Henry inside.

He sent her a worried look but didn't comment, lumbering up the stairs ahead of her. Marco was at the door when they reached it and he smiled widely at the sight of them.

"Hey!" He greeted as Henry swerved around him into the room. "Have a good session, Henry." With a smile, the older man tousled Henry's hair before he turned to go. Eyeing Lily with concern, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Try not to work too hard, Lillian, eh?"

She nodded in response, a small smile forming as he left. Turning back to the office, she entered the room and shut the door behind her. Nearly falling onto the couch opposite Henry, Lily placed her hands on her stomach and closed her eyes.

"Hey."

She heard Archie greet, letting out a soft noise in return before she attempted to tune out the conversation.

"Are you recruiting Geppetto for Operation: Cobra?"

"You think Marco's Geppetto?" Archie asked, sounding rather taken aback.

Lily cracked an eye open to see Henry nodding. "Sure. He's Jiminy Cricket's best friend and Marco's yours."

"Henry…" Lily bristled inwardly at Archie's suddenly nervous tone. Staying where she was, she opened both eyes now and watched them. "Henry, look. W-We really need to talk about this, okay?"

"I know you're not convinced, but I know where I can get proof." Henry unzipped is backpack and held it out towards Archie. Lily narrowed her eyes at what she'd caught sight of.

"What is this? Flashlight? Candy bars?" Archie listed off, awareness suddenly filling his voice. "Oh, wait, Henry. Henry, you do not want to go down there."

"Emma's here and stuff's happening. I have to look at it."

Archie let out a blustery sigh. "Henry, Henry. Stop. Stop." Fully alert now, Lily watched warily as Archie spoke. "There is no proof. Look, all of this-all of this-is a delusion. Do you know what a delusion is?"

"I…I think so."

"It's something that's not real. And…And not healthy." Archie said hesitantly, looking anywhere but at Henry or Lily. "And I thought that you'd outgrow this, but Henry, you know…Now it's turned into a psychosis. Do you know what a psychosis is?" He didn't even wait for Henry to respond. "Th-that's when you can longer tell what's real and if that continues, then…Then I have to lock you away."

At that, Lily sat straight up. Hands clenched into fists, she wished more than ever that she had her magic. Turning Archie back into the cricket he was and stepping on him would be a good outlet for the rage filling her.

"Henry, look. This has to stop for your own good. You got to wake up. This nonsense must end." Archie finished finally, his voice raised to nearly a yell.

Lily watched, in muted horror, as Henry simply directed a betrayed look at Archie. The little boy then took off at a run from the office. The moment Henry was out the door, Lily rounded on the stunned shrink.

"What the bloody hell was that, Archie?!" She shouted hoarsely at him. When he offered no reply, her temper rose even more. "If you've done _any_ damage to Henry," she gripped his collar, yanking his frightened face to hers. "You'll find out exactly why you _don't mess _with a Gold."

For a brief moment, Archie could have sworn Lillian's eyes flashed red. But, when he blinked they were still vibrant blue. Releasing him with a noise of disgust, Lily spun on her heel and ran out of the office. Nearly jumping down the stairs, she caught up with Henry on the street and quickly enveloped him in her arms. His little fists gripped her shirt tightly as his body began to shake violently.

With a soft grunt, Lily picked him up for the first time in years, and carried him towards Mary Margaret's apartment. To hell with Regina's orders, Henry needed his mother right now and to Lily, Regina wasn't worthy of that title at the moment. Rapping loudly on the door, she waited impatiently for Emma to open the door.

When the blonde did, her smile faded at the sight of Henry's tear-stained face as he trembled in Lily's arms.

"Kid, what happened?" Emma asked before she back out of the doorway to let Lily in. "Come in."

* * *

><p><em>"So, should we tell them?" Beauregard asked, clutching Katerina's milky-white fingers in his own. His wife shook her head weakly, the simple movement causing spasm of pain to shoot across her body.<em>

_"No," a ragged cough rattled her weak lungs. "No, we shouldn't. It will only make Damien blame Lily even more-"_

_"He's already stopped speaking to her." He frowned heavily. "And one of the maids said he tried to strike Lily yesterday morning."_

_Katerina frowned at that, tears struggling to fall at the news of her son's reaction to her illness. "He blames her."_

_"Can you blame him?" Beauregard asked, his gray eyes fierce. "So shortly after his sister is born, his mother becomes ill. It is child's logic."_

_"He is nearly twelve." She argued back, only for her husband to shake his head._

_"Yes, and he has been babied by his mother all this time." He tightened his grip on her weak fingers as hard as he dared. "My love, you and I both knew this was coming."_

_"That you did." A smug, low voice whispered from the window. _

_Both turned to watch in horror as the cloaked 'boy' stepped down from the windowsill, his green eyes flashing in the dim light. He glanced over Katerina, clucking softly in amusement. _

_"Hmm, not looking so good, are we _Katie_?" He waved his hand, freezing Beauregard mid-step, smirking lightly. "Now, now, _Beau_." He waved his hand in a chastising manner. "I haven't come all this way for a fight."_

_"Why are you here?" Katerina asked, sounding far braver than she felt. His presence terrified her, it had even when she was a child. Thinking of those days made her shy away from the memories and focus on the person before her. "You said we had-"_

_"'Upon her sixteenth birthday, then she will be mine', yes." He recited in a bored tone, all traces of amusement gone for a brief moment. His eyes drifted to the closed door, excitement making his eyes almost glow. "Though, I won't lie, I've checked in on her a few times."_

_"You son of a bitch-"_

_He raised his hand, making Katerina's mouth snap shut. Eyes flat, he lowered his hand as she held back tears of pain at the abuse. Stepping forward slowly, he sat at the empty chair next to her bed._

_"You knew this was coming, Katerina." His whisper was harsh and low. "You've known all these years, ever since you made that deal." A smirk twisted up the side of his face. "To be honest, I'm surprised your body didn't give out the day after Lily was born." He shrugged, unconcerned. "But, that's magic for you."_

_"Why are you here?" She asked again, her voice subdued and trembling._

_Her smirked flatly. "I'm here to see you, of course." He looked at her neck, a sneer forming on his face. "I gave you that for _her_." His voice hardened. "Not for you to hide away, like so many other things in her life."_

_"I've hidden things from her to keep her safe-"_

_"Are you sure it's not just to clear your conscience?" He shot back flatly. "I must admit, I don't know too many woman who would make a deal to have a child, promising said child as payment."_

_Her tears seemed to delight him, though it was hard to read his pale face as always. Katerina drew the necklace resting against her shift closer as he stared at it._

_"Why?" She finally whispered brokenly, asking the one question that had tormented her all these years. "Why her? Why me? What could you possibly want with a girl?"_

_"Well, at first, I wanted your boy." He admitted, shrugging carelessly at her expression. "But then, I sensed the child growing in your belly." Something she couldn't identify entered his voice. It was almost wistful, though she refused to believe he was capable of such an emotion. "Lily was born of the magic of Neverland, not Damien."_

_Katerina went stiff as her worst fears became realized. He simply smirked in response, lowering his hood and allowing her to see his face for the first time in years. His slim, pale features were still unchanged, after all these years and she shivered at the sight of his green eyes._

_"The magic that gave life to Lily, is the magic that kept you alive." His eyes briefly flickered to the black, congealed blood that littered the handkerchiefs around the bed. "And, now that Lily is born, nothing is stopping the sickness from killing you." Humorless eyes locked with hers. "Your body is literally rotting from the inside out."_

* * *

><p>"Henry, what are we doing here?" Lily looked around warily as Henry led them closer to the entrance of the mine. "I know you want proof, but this is dangerous-even for you." He ignored her, sparking her temper and she reached for his backpack. "Henry, I am not letting you go in there alone-"<p>

"Then come with me!" He tugged free of her grip and stalked into the mines, flashlight on.

Looking around with a resigned sigh, Lily trudged in after him. Frowning at the thick air around them, she practically glued herself to Henry's side as they cautiously walked along the track.

"Henry, what exactly are we looking for?" She managed to whisper, wincing at the soft echo of the words. Having spent plenty of time in the dwarven mines back home, cave-ins were a terrifying reality. Though while it was much easier to deal with a cave-in with magic, she knew that there was nothing she could do if that happened now.

"I know you saw my mom pocket something the other day." He chattered as they continued to walk, clearly unconcerned with the possibility of their deaths. "We need to find something like that."

Cursing angrily under her breath, making sure that it was in a different language, Lily followed Henry. He wandered several more feet before stopping, making Lily nearly walk into him. Wide-eyed, Lily watched in shock as Henry stooped down and picked up a piece of clear glass.

"Let me see that." Lily whispered softly, turning the object over in her hands when Henry did so. Running her fingers over the black, vine-like adornments, she swallowed heavily when she realized what it was.

"What is it?" Henry asked, bouncing with excitement as he took back the glass. "Do you know what it is?"

"It's-" Lily's head shot up when the mine began shake violently. Letting out a cry of shock, Lily pushed Henry out of the way and the rock quickly caught her in the side of the head. Black spots flashed in her vision as she fell to the ground, her fingers digging into the dirt as Henry's buzzing voice called her name. She raised her eyes to see Henry's worried face swimming in and out of her vision before she gave into the calling darkness.

"Lily? Lily!"

* * *

><p><em>The little girl peered outside her window, wide eyes watching the moonlit sky for the now familiar black shape to streak across it. Looking at the timepiece by her bedside, she sighed at the late hour and reached to shut the window. <em>

_Long, thin fingers caught her wrist gently and she jerked back in surprise. The cry of shock that welled up in her throat died once she caught sight of the amused green eyes watching her. The moment her wrist was released, Lily opened her small arms and flung them around the boy crouched before her._

_"Peter!"_

* * *

><p>"Lily!"<p>

She jerked awake, the last vestiges of the dream clinging to her mind as she raised her eyes to meet Henry's worried gaze.

"Lily, we gotta move, you gotta get up!"

Head swimming, she raised a hand to the source fo the pain and hissed at the touch. Pulling her hand back, she gasped at the blood coating her palm before another rumble shook the mine. Allowing Henry to help her to her feet, she stumbled until she hit the wall and grabbed at it.

"Henry...I-I can't...I can't-"

"Henry! Lillian!"

Both turned to see Archie rushing towards them, his eyes wide as saucers behind his glasses. Lily nearly groaned in relief at the sight of him, especially when he reached her and slung her arm around his shoulders.

"Are you here to help us?" Henry asked as Archie ran a hand along Lily's face, cursing at the amount of blood.

Shaking his head, the shrink looked around as the mine shook yet again. "No, Henry, listen. We gotta get outta here, okay?" Lily swayed dangerously in his hold. "Lillian needs a dcotor-"

"So, you're still against me?" Henry asked, any trace of excitement slipping away at Archie's reply.

"Henry, there's no time for that!" Archie reached for Henry with his free arm. "Come on, Henry. Come on!"

Henry pulled out of reach and shook his head stubbornly. "You don't believe me? You'll see." He turned and ran deeper into the mine. "You'll see!"

"Henry! Henry-Henry!" Archie called after him as Lily lifted her head and reached for the boy. "Henry, come back! Henry!"

* * *

><p><em>"Where have you been?" Lily demanded as she looked up at the boy cradling her.<em>

_Peter smiled back softly, slipping an arm from her small shoulders to grip the necklace resting against her stomach. "Found it, did you?"_

_She nodded her head rapidly, smiling enough to reveal the gap in her teeth. He chuckled at the sight, having forgotten about that part of childhood. _

_"Mhmm! Papa said Mama gave it to me before she died-but I wasn't old enough to have it!" Proudly, she touched the small silver trinket he held before she raised her luminous blue eyes to his face. "Can we go flying tonight?!"_

_Shaking his head, the 'teen' smiled at the pout that formed on her lips. Opening his arms back up, Lily went into them. Holding her tightly, he stood and raised her so they were eye-level._

_"Lily, I need you to do something for me." He breathed out when his ears caught the sound of footsteps. "This is very important. I need you to remember me, do you think you could do that?"_

_She nodded, tilting her head in confusion. "But, why would I need to remember you when you come to visit me?"_

_"Because I'll be going away for a while." He raised a hand to touch her chubby cheek when he saw tears from in her eyes. "Shh," he soothed softly, pulling her closer when the footsteps became louder. "Don't worry, you'll see me again." Her grip tightened. "But you have to promise to remember me."_

_Just as she nodded, the door slammed open to reveal her horrified father. Peter moved before they could react, pressing a chaste kiss against her forehead before he set her down and was out the window._

_"Lily!"_

* * *

><p>"Henry? Henry?" Archie called as he helped a stumbling Lily through the tunnel. "Henry! Henry!" He shouted again when he caught sight of Henry holding his flashlight down a hole. "Henry, Henry! You got to slow down." He panted out as Lily attempted to right herself.<p>

"There's something shiny down there." Henry replied, peering down into the dark shaft before Lily managed to get her numb lips to work.

"Henry, this is seriously dangerous." She slurred out, wincing when her head throbbed violently again. "We got to get out of here."

He shook his head rapidly. "It could be something."

"Henry, look at me!" Archie commanded suddenly, his voice rising with distress. "Look at me!" Henry's stunned eyes connected with his. "I'm frightened for you, Henry."

Henry scowled back. "Because you think I'm crazy?"

"No!" Archie denied, shaking his head. "No, because we are trapped underground in an abandoned mine, Henry." He reached out to grip Henry's shoulders. "Lillian is bleeding heavily and there is no way out."

Taking a quick look at his baby-sitter, Henry swallowed at how ashen her pale features were. Turning back to Archie, he nodded rapidly and allowed Archie to lead them both away from the hole and deeper into the mine. As they walked, Lily pressed her once white scarf against her bleeding face, hissing when the cloth brushed against the cut.

Archie suddenly stopped, his upturned face scrunched in concentration. "Hey, do you hear that?"

All three paused, listening intently until the soft, muted sound reached their ears.

"It's Pongo!"

With little preamble, Lily began to stalk forward. "Well, let's not waste any time." Henry pressed against her, keeping her upright.

"Follow the noise!"

Pongo's rapid barks quickly led them to an elevator shaft, though Henry gazed at it curiously while Archie reached for it.

"It's loudest over here."

Henry paused at the sight of the elevator. "What's…What's this?"

"Looks like…an old elevator." Archie muttered as he glanced up inside it.

"I-It's to get the mine workers in and out." Lily stuttered out as she pressed her scarf harder against the cut that ran along her hairline.

"It goes all the way to the top. That's why we could hear Pongo." Archie added.

"Can we make it work?"

Archie continued to look up the shaft before he handed the flashlight to Henry. "Let's give it a shot" Reaching for the rather rusted wheel, Archie twisted it, making the elevator ascend with a loud screech. "Come on!"

Handing a surprised Lily his flashlight, Henry joined helping Archie turn the rusted wheel. Sighing, she leaned back against the elevator cart and inhaled deeply as spots began to dance behind her eyes.

_"If you shut your eyes and are a lucky one," every eye was locked onto Peter as he spoke to the circle. "You may see at times, a shapeless pool of lovely, pale colours suspended in the darkness; then if you squeeze your eyes tighter, the pool begins to take shape," his voice raised as the excitement around him rose. He spun slowly in a circle, locking eyes with the bright blue that gazed at him across the clearing. "And the colours become so vivid that with another squeeze they must go on fire." _

"Lily!"

She jerked, her eyes flying open in time for the loud boom to echo around the mine. Reaching up, she wrapped her arms around Henry and turned around to shelter him. Archie covered them both as the elevator fell even further down the shaft with a loud, metallic shriek.

* * *

><p>"I'm really…really, really sorry." Henry whispered. He was playing with Archie's umbrella as the three of them sat on the floor of the elevator.<p>

Lily was leaning limply against Archie's shoulder as he kept the now blood-stained scarf on her wound. Lily's eyes fluttered as she tried to focus on Henry's voice. "It's alright." She tried to say, though the words came out jumbled and muffled.

Henry go the gist of it, though her rapidly paling features worried him. "I just wanted to find proof."

"You know, it's really alright, Henry. And um, um, I'm sorry, too." Archie said, bumbling through his reply even though it was heartfelt. "Look, I…I don't think you're crazy. I-I just…I just think you got a very strong mother, who's got a clear idea of a path that she wants you to be on and when you step off that she…She gets scared. And, you know, it's natural." The shrink sighed deeply. "But it's also natural for you to be able to be free to think the things that you want to think. So, anyway. I…I didn't mean those things I said and I never should have said them."

Henry tilted his head in puzzlement. "Then, why did you?"

"I guess I'm just not a very good person. I'm not the man I want to be." Archie whispered just before the elevator suddenly shifted farther down the shaft.

After it settled, Archie slowly removed his arm from Lily's shoulders as Henry gently nudged her. She jerked her head up and sent him a strained smile in response. With a sigh, Henry looked from Lily to Archie.

"I think you can be him. I think you can be a good person. I mean, you're Jiminy Cricket."

Archie shook his head tiredly as Lily swayed next to him. "Henry. Henry, Jiminy Cricket was a…He was a cricket, okay? And he was a conscience." His voice lowered as sadness leaked into it. "And…And I hardly think that's me."

"Before he was a cricket...he was a guy who took a long time to figure out the right thing to do." Lily whispered softly, making both Henry and Archie start in surprise. Her eyes opened and she smiled faintly at them, prompting Archie to smirk wryly.

"That kind of sounds like me."

Henry quickly grabbed ahold of Archie's acceptance. "Now it's harder for you because of the curse. To hear the voice inside of you. To be who you want to be."

The elevator once again jerked before falling down the shaft. Lily tightened her hold on Henry's hand, releasing it when the elevator car stopped its descent.

"Hey, can I ask you again?" Archie asked suddenly as he gently removed Lily's scarf from her head.

"Ask what?" Henry asked, watching as the older man gently prodded the still bleeding wound.

Archie removed his fingers when Lily hissed through clenched teeth. Turning back to Henry, his nose wrinkled. "Why do you think it's so important that your…your fairy tale theory is true?"

Henry shrugged. "I don't know."

"Give it a shot." Lily forced out through a cough.

"'Cause this can't be all there is."

Archie nodded understandingly, though Lily eyed him dubiously when he said, "I understand."

"I thought if I found proof…But I didn't find anything." Henry slumped with a sigh.

"Well, that's not true." Archie said softly as he led Lily to lean on him. "I was lost and you found me, right?"

Henry perked up at that. "You mean, you remember?"

"No, Henry." Shaking his head, Archie sighed deeply. "I…I don't remember, but I-I do remember the kind of person I want to be. I just got to listen harder."

Pieces of rock suddenly fell through the grate at the top of the elevator. Cursing, Lily ducked behind Archie as her and Henry blinked up at the light coming closer.

"Wh-what's that?" Henry asked as he slowly made his way to his feet.

Archie followed suit, helping a now almost limp Lily to her feet aw well. "I think that's the rescue."

"You guys okay?!" Emma demanded as she was lowered into the shaft.

Archie nodded frantically as Lily raised her heavy head to squint up at the other woman. "Yeah, we're…We're okay." He stuttered out, keeping an arm around Lily.

"Hang on, Henry." Emma ordered. "Okay, that's good." She said into what Lily assumed was a walkie-talkie. "Stop."

Archie quickly lifted Henry as Lily plastered herself against the metal behind her. "Here you go. Up." Henry was quickly passed up to Emma as Lily and Archie watched.

"Come on." Emma encouraged as Henry clung to her like a monkey. "I got ya. Okay. Okay, I got him."

"You got him?" Archie called.

"Is he safe?" Lily added, her eyes widening in horror when the elevator began to shake.

Emma's eyes went wide. "Archie? L-Lillian!?"

"It's going to fall!"

Emma looked up frantically before she looked down at the two in the elevator. "I'm sorry!"

Archie shook his head with a strained smile. "It's okay!" He wrapped an arm around Lily as the shaking increased, dimly aware of her arms wrapping around his waist.

"Archie! Lillian!" Emma screamed when the elevator went flying down the shaft. Panting, she and Henry stared down in horror until she felt a tug on her belt. Emma looked down to see Archie swinging from his umbrella, Lily wrapped around him tightly.

Letting out a delirious laugh of delight, Emma grinned down at them as Henry cheered. "They're okay!"

Archie returned the smiles, while Lily simply tightened her grip on his waist.

"Not to split hairs or anything, but, CAN WE BLOODY MOVE!"

At the teen's screech, Emma nodded rapidly before she called for them to pull them up. Henry was lifted out by Graham first, Emma next, before she turned and helped tug Archie out. Graham reached out, grabbing Lily's hand, and yanked her from the shaft before Archie was even all the way out. The bearded Sheriff practically picked her up and carried her to the ambulance.

Ruby proceeded to tackle Lily, fussing over the still bleeding wound on her friend's head. Batting away Ruby's overeager hands, Lily winced as the paramedics began to disinfect the cut before they quickly told her she'd need stitches. Watching, ignoring the slight tug of the needle, Lily frowned at the sight of Regina pushing Emma away from Henry.

Darting away from the paramedics the moment they pronounced her done, Lily jogged to Henry's side. The little boy plastered himself onto her side, making her laugh before she returned his embrace. Apologies began to fall from his mouth, though she just tightened her embrace on him. Emma wandered over to join them after a bit and was currently watching Marco and Archie talk.

"Is that Archie's father?"

Lily blinked at the random question and turned to give Emma an amused look. "No, they're just old friends."

Emma nodded before she turned her attention to the boy pressed against Lily's side. "You really scared me."

"I'm sorry." He detached himself from Lily's side and went to Emma's.

Lily watched them with a smile, looking up when Archie and Marco came over to them.

"Gentlemen." Emma greeted with a smile before she looked down at Henry. "Well, come on. Your mom wants to take you home."

With a sigh, Lily stood and clasped hands with Henry. She tugged him forward, only for him to pull back and stop.

"Hey! Listen."

The small group fell silent and listened silently. None saw the smirk that formed on Lily's face as the soft sound of crickets chirping became noticable.

"Crickets." Archie said, a wide smile blooming on his face.

Henry nearly vibrated with excitement. "They're back." He and Lily looked at each other, their hands tightening. "Things are changing."

* * *

><p><strong>Thoughts? Comments? Questions?<strong>


	6. The Shepherd

**Disclaimer: I own nothing escept the plot and any unrecognizable characters and dialogue.**

**Thank you for all the reviews, faves and follows! You guys are awesome and I'm glad you like the rewrite so far.**

**This chapter is a bit shorter than the others simply because there wasn't an easy way to incorporate Lily into this very David/Mary Margaret centric episode.**

* * *

><p>Lily watched David silently as the beginnings of panic formed on his face. She sighed, rubbing at her still sore eyes before she looked down at Henry. Despite her attendance at David's 'Welcome Home' party, Regina had insisted on Lily being there to help keep an eye on Henry.<p>

Personally, Lily still wasn't sure why Regina even trusted her with Henry, especially after the incident in the mines. Then again, Lily was pretty much the only option Regina had in terms of a baby-sitter. The sound of footsteps made both Henry and Lily look up, neither surprised to see Emma awkwardly wandering over to them.

"So...you guys having fun?" The blonde asked dryly, not really expecting an answer. The two had been hiding out on the stairs the moment they'd arrived at the Nolan's.

"Well," a side of Lily's mouth twisted up in a smirk. "Clearly, not as much fun as David's having." She punctuated her words with a nod towards the confused man.

"Lily, I don't think he's having fun-" Henry stopped and turned to pout up at his baby-sitter. "Hey..."

Lily's smirk grew, though she gave the boy a one-armed hug. "We still need to work on your sarcasm."

Emma threw them both an exasperated look that had them beaming up at her. Shaking her head, she turned back to watch the obviously stressed man. "Yeah, he doesn't look like he's having too much fun."

"Well, he _is _trying to remember an entire lifetime." The dark-haired teen pointed out.

Unsurprisingly, Henry began to bounce right next to her. "You know why he doesn't remember?" He asked excitedly. "The curse isn't working on him yet."

"Henry, David has amnesia." Emma explained patiently.

"Well, it's preventing the curse from replacing his fairy tale story with fake memories."

Emma exhaled deeply. "Right." She agreed, clearly resigned to this argument. "Because everyone here has fake stories that prevent them from remembering who they really are."

"Right." Henry agreed, either ignoring or unaware of Emma's sarcasm. Lily hoped it was the latter. "And now's our chance to help him. We just have to get him to remember that he's-"

"He's Prince Charming." Lily said easily, ignoring Emma's dirty look.

Henry was bouncing again. "We just have to jog his memory by getting him and Miss Blanchard together."

Emma looked away from Lily to frown at Henry. "Didn't we just try that?"

"And it woke him up." Henry responded smugly as David wandered over to the little group.

"Hey." He greeted tiredly, looking at all three of them carefully. "You're the ones who saved me, right?"

Emma blinked. "Oh, yeah. I guess."

"And, uh, you're also the only ones I know here..." He trailed off, making Lily smile.

"You can hide with us." She offered.

"Fantastic." David sighed in relief as a man passed with a tray of appetizers. He reached out and stabbed a cocktail weenie with a toothpick. "Oh, thank you."

"So, you ever use a sword?" Henry asked casually, only for Lily to nonchalantly reach out and clasp a hand over his mouth.

David frowned in confusion as Henry tried to pull free. "I'm sorry?" The man chuckled out before he turned to the amused blonde. "Emma, you live with Mary Margaret, right? You know if she's coming tonight?"

"No, she couldn't make it." She offered shortly, sharing a look with Lily.

"Oh." David looked down, clearly aware of the bite in Emma's reply. After making small-talk with them for several minutes, he wandered off and was swallowed up by the crowd.

Soon after, Whale wandered over to the trio, quickly making sure that Lily's stitches were holding up.

"Well, you seem to be blessed by something." Whale clucked as he ran his fingers along the raised skin. While he was a bit of a lech, Lily also knew he wouldn't try anything on her, especially with the town deputy mere inches from them.

Lily raised an eyebrow in response. "Meaning?" A hiss escaped her when he hit a tender spot.

"Well, there's barely going to be a scar _and _it's right in the hairline." He pulled his hand away, allowing Lily's hair to fall back into place. That done, he quickly fell into conversation with Emma while Henry and Lily continued to 'people watch'.

"Think we can get him to remember?" Henry asked quietly as Lily rested her head on his.

His baby-sitter hummed in response, fiddling with the charm that rested against her chest. Henry caught sight of it and reached out, gently holding it as awe filled him.

"This is the charm from the book." He whispered as Lily nodded in response. "Hey, Lillian?"

"Yeah?" She asked, her eyes narrowing when she saw Kathryn walking towards them.

"Who was your mother?"

* * *

><p><em>"Help! Please, my daughter-"<em>

_"Well, well!" Beauregard turned at the sight of Rumpelstiltskin perched on the crumbling wall behind him. Bright amber eyes bored into his, making him shiver. "What is it you need, dearie?" He gazed at the sleeping girl in her father's arms. "Your little _princess_, seems just fine to me!"_

_Beauregard stiffened at the title, though forced himself to remain calm. "Dark One, I need you to remove some of my daughter's memories."_

_Rumpelstiltskin uncrossed his legs before he gracefully leapt down from the wall. Striding forward, he raised a hand to the girl's forehead, ignoring the man's flinch. Tsking, he ran through her memories before stiffening._

_"Where or where did she meet _him_?" He hissed out dangerously, not taking his eyes off the slumbering girl. Curiousity welled inside him, though he crushed it as soon as it came. What _he_ did, was of little concern to Rumpelstiltskin, though he'd never seen _him_ go after one as young as this._

_"He must have been coming to her window." Beauregard lied, though the Dark One seemed far more interested in his daughter than his words. "But, I want you to remove all traces of him. Can you?"_

_"Oh, yes, yes, yes." Raising his eyes, Rumpelstiltskin grinned in an unsettling manner. "But, for that, there's a price!"_

_"Anything."_

_Raising a hand to his chin, the Dark One examined the stricken father quietly. "Do you still have _Katerina's_ charm?" A small smirk grew. "Or should I call her by her more famous name?"_

_The other man stiffened, his embrace on the girl tightening enough that the little girl stirred. A flick of his hand and Rumpelstiltskin sent the little girl back to her dreams. _

_"Please, do not say that name." Beauregard pleaded through clenched teeth. His wife's story was well known throughout the realm, yes. However, not many knew that his wife was the girl from the tale. "It has become buried with her."_

_The Dark One eyed him curiously. "So it has." To his surprise, Beauregard shifted his daughter to one arm before he offered a small, golden ring to him. _

_"Here." _

_Greedily taking the ring, Rumpelstiltskin flipped it over in his fingers and sighed at the magic that came from it. "Much as it pains me, I must admit, the fairies know their magic!"_

_The other man didn't deign to reply to that, staring stonily at the cursed ring. "You have your payment-now, my daughter-"_

_Rumpelstiltskin darted forward on light feet and placed a scaled hand on the child's forehead. Muttering softly, he searched through her mind, delicately taking out any memory of the green-eyed boy and his shadow. Satisfied with his work, he retracted his hand as the little girl sighed in her father's arms._

_"There, now she shall forget all about _Peter Pan_."_

* * *

><p>"So, how'd you wind up with Gold as a guardian?" Emma asked as they climbed the stairs to the apartment.<p>

Lily shrugged, tossing her hair out of her face. "Apparently the mood struck him and he decided to adopt poor, little me." To be honest, even she didn't know the whole story Regina had cooked up to explain _Lillian's_ adoption.

Emma's eyebrows shot into her hairline but she said nothing else, simply unlocking the door. The sight of Mary Margaret practically attacking a plate roughly with a brillo pad made Lily's eyebrows raise as well.

"You might want to ease up, or that brillo pad's going to press charges." Emma pointed out as the two stepped into the apartment.

Mary looked up, her hands freezing mid scrub. "Dishes were just piling up…"

"This wouldn't have anything with David stopping by, would it?" Lily asked as she waltzed to the fridge and got out the milk. Taking the cocoa powder from the cupboard, she sent Mary Margaret a grimace. "We saw him skulking away when we pulled up."

Mary Margaret blinked once. Twice. Then proceeded to stutter out, "We just, uh…He just…"

"Yeah, I know." Emma agreed calmly. "You're both just. And you did the right thing."

"He made a pretty compelling case." Mary Margaret sighed, looking down at the dishes.

At her forlorn expression, Lily placed a hand on the woman's shoulder. "Compelling or no, he's still married."

"Believe us, we know-we were just at the party." Emma added dryly.

"What do I do?"

Emma reached over and pried the brillo pad from Mary Margaret's clenched fingers. "You need to stop cleaning. And have a drink."

Lily watched, mildly amused, as Emma got out a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. Stirring her now bubbling milk, Lily rolled her eyes at the look the blonde shot her.

"You can't have any, you're too-"

"Young." Lily, her amused smile making Emma frown. "I know."

"Don't you have a curfew or something?" She asked, making Lily's smile grown as the teen shook her head.

"My guardian _owns_ the town." She nodded at Mary Margaret. "Also, sometimes I stay here."

At the dark-haired woman's nod of agreement, Emma shrugged before placing the bottle on the counter. "Here's the thing-I don't know a lot about relationships, other than having many that failed." She started explaining to Mary Margaret as Lily watched on. Pouring the whiskey, Emma continued. "But generally speaking, if you think something you want to do is wrong, it is. So, you got to stay strong and he has to figure out his life." With a sigh, she raised her glass, prompting Mary Margaret to do the same. "Cheers"

* * *

><p><em>Lilith stalked through the trees, forcing Charming to nearly run to keep up with her. He frowned at the girl's cloaked back, wondering why she was so hostile towards him. From what he'd heard, the Dark Lilith was far less...emotional.<em>

_"I can practically taste your confusion, so just spit it out."_

_Charming blinked, looking ahead to see that while she hadn't turned to him, her shoulder's had tensed further._

_"I-I'm sorry. You can-"_

_She finally turned, her cowl falling and revealing her pale features. Narrow, blue eyes locked with his as her mouth curled into a sneer. "I'm an empath. I feel the emotions of others."_

_Taken aback, Charming watched her as she sighed angrily. Fists loosening, she turned away from him and pulled her hood back up._

_"Come. We have a lot of ground to cover."_

_She stalked away again, leaving Charming behind to wonder what kind of deal he'd just agreed to by summoning the Dark Lilith._

* * *

><p>Lily looked up as Whale strutted like a proud peacock. Sharing a look with Ruby, the younger woman rolled her eyes and focused back on her book. Gold had given <em>Lillian <em>a book filled with fairy tales for her last birthday and Lily had just gotten around to reading this realms take on their stories. She also took the time to realize the fact that even without his memories, Gold had managed to indirectly give her a gag gift.

Chuckling softly at their take on _her _story, Lily looked up at the clicking of heels to see Regina stalking into the diner. Eyebrow raised, she watched silently as the mayor seated herself across from Mary Margaret.

Lily looked up when Ruby sidled over to her and they both watched as Regina quietly berated a stunned Mary Margaret.

"Really? So he just up and left his wife on a whim?" Regina demanded flatly as all the blood rushed from Mary Margaret's face.

"He did what?" The teacher whispered in shock.

Regina's expression lightened ever so slightly. "You don't know?" When Mary Margaret shook her head, the other woman powered on. "Well, I suspect you soon will. So listen carefully, dear, cause it's in your best interest." Lily shuddered at the fake sweetness coating Regina's words. "Stay away. He's in a fragile state, he doesn't know who he is or what he's doing, and you're this close to wrecking multiple lives. So, before you do something that can't be undone, let him remember who he was."

With that, Regina stood and stalked out of the diner, leaving Mary Margaret to stare after her. Lily and Ruby exchanged looks, the latter gaping like a fish.

"He left her?!" Ruby whispered excitedly.

Lily rolled her eyes, lightly swatting her friend on the arm with her thin book. "Ruby!"

"What?"

"Breaking up a marriage is not a good thing!"

* * *

><p><em>"Do you know where we're going?" Charming called for the seventh time and received silence as his answer yet again. "Well, nice to know you're not as talkative as your mentor." He mumbled, unaware that Lilith could hear every word.<em>

_She reigned in the desire to drag him into the ground. Rumple's quick, terse explanation about how this man and Snow White were the key to finding Bae was the only thing that made her pause. Then again, she probably should have mention that, last she checked, Bae was still trapped on Neverland._

_However, bitterness and anger had kept her mouth firmly shut. Rumple had unknowingly, and uncaringly she suspected, torn her away from the first place she'd been truly happy. While she knew it was the man behind her that had been the one to actually summon her, Rumple had set it all in motion._

_At the influx of magic heading towards her eyes, Lilith closed them and counted backwards from ten. Once she was sufficiently calmed, she turned back to Charming and spoke._

_"We're headed to the Dark Fortress." His head shot up in surprise at her voice, though she ignored it and continued. "Personally, I hope you have experience with dragons."_

_Her lips twitched when the expression of resigned horror crossed his features._

* * *

><p>"Hello?"<p>

Lily looked up from the book at the call. Brow creasing in confusion, she turned to see Gold pulling himself to his feet. As he shuffled to the front, Lily heaved a resigned sigh before she shut her book and followed her boss.

"Hello?"

They entered the front in time to see David looked around the shop. Lily swallowed thickly when she saw him reaching for the glass unicorn mobile. She remembered all too well that paticular piece and where it had once hung back in the Enchanted Forest.

"Charming." Gold whispered, breaking the trance David seemed to be under.

The man started before he turned to see Lily and Gold standing behind the counter. "I'm sorry?"

"The mobile. Isn't it charming?" Gold asked as he lightly stepped towards David. Lily frowned at his tone, quickly hoping whatever he was about to do wouldn't make things worse. "Exquisitely designed, masterly crafted…I can get it down, if you like."

David shook his head at the offer. "No, no. I mean, it's…It's very nice, but actually, I'm looking for the Toll Bridge." He explained sheepishly. "The Mayor said there was a fork in the road by your shop, but-"

"It seems Mayor Mills got you a bit confused." Lily offered softly, keeping her face blank.

David smiled wryly. "Yeah, yeah you would think the Mayor would know her own town."

She and Gold shared a look. Her boss' poker face didn't waver at the attempted joke. "One would think." Nodding at the door, he quickly listed off directions. "Out of the door, turn right, two blocks you'll find a trail. Can't miss it."

"Thank you." David nodded at them and turned to leave. However, he paused at the sight of a windmill and she watched as his entire body stiffened.

"See something you like?" Gold asked calmly, though Lily could detect the undercurrent of smugness lining his tone.

David didn't look away from the windmill. "Where did you get that?"

"That old thing? That's been gathering dust for…forever."

Reaching out, David spun the windmill around and watched it quietly. "I think…This belonged to me."

"Really? Are you sure?" Gold asked, a quiet note of triumph in his voice.

Lily eyed him, her eyes narrowing before she turned back to David. Heart sinking at what this meant, she silently prayed that Mary Margaret would live through the rejection that was coming her way.

"Yes…I remember."

* * *

><p><em>"She's so beautiful." Katerina cooed softly as she ran a finger down her daughter's chubby cheek. A gurgle escaped Lily's cherubic mouth, making her mother chuckle as her father reached down and cradled her little face.<em>

_"Aye, that she is." Beauregard agreed with a wide smile. He turned his attention to his wide, eyeing her worn expression with concern. "Now, you must rest, dearest." He held up a hand to stave off her objections. "We have a nurse ready at the slightest problem and we're only two doors down."_

_With a reluctant sigh, Katerina nodded and allowed her husband to herd her out of their daughter's nursery. The moment the doors shut, the window blew open gently, making the little girl stir at the cool air._

_Pale hands reached down and gently picked the girl up. Cooing softly, the green-eyed 'boy' shushed the fussing baby in his arms. Wide, curious eyes looked up at him and he smiled at the sight of her little face._

_"Shh," he whispered, leaning down to press a kiss against her forehead. "You're safe, Lily." As if she sensed the truth of his words, her blue eyes fluttered shut as she yawned delicately. Within moments, she was sleeping in his arms, the sight making him smile._

_The sound of footsteps made him pause before he snarled quietly to himself. Shifting her in his arms, Peter laid Lily back in her crib before he pulled a silver chain out of his tunic. "Happy birthday, Lily." The whisper gently stirred her hair as he laid the necklace next to her little fist._

_Darting out of the window seconds before the door opened, he hung back and watched as Katerina sped into her daughter's room. Gathering the now crying child in her arms, he smirked when Katerina caught sight of the necklace in her daughter's crib._

_Horror washed over her face as she clutched her daughter tightly to her as she stared down at the silver mocking her._

_A thin, silver chain that ended in a silver acorn rested innocently rested on the white sheets._

* * *

><p>"Why does it matter to you, Henry?" Lily asked as she helped him settle into bed. Picking up his book, Lily frowned at the page it was opened to. A tall, regal looking woman with dark hair and blue eyes was illustrated on the page.<p>

The sight sent a pang through her heart.

"Well, there's not a lot about her in the book." The little boy offered with a winning smile. Unfortunately for him, his baby-sitter wasn't in a giving mood.

"Honestly, there are somethings even _you_ shouldn't mess with." Lily whispered softly as she turned to leave the room and head for the guest bedroom. Her hand stilled on the light switch when Henry kept at it.

"Does the name 'Maia', mean anything to you?" He asked, eying her tense shoulders carefully.

Releasing a shuddering sigh, Lily turned around and sent him a strained smile before flipping off the light.

"Goodnight, Henry."

* * *

><p><strong>Thoughts? Comments? Questions?<strong>


	7. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot and any unrecognizable characters and dialogue.**

**So, this is a short chapter again.**

**And, a reviewers asked about whether or not the 'Dark Lilith' is a fairy tale. It is not. However, the Demon Lilith is a mythological figure, said to be the first wife of Adam who was cast out when she refused to submit to him. That is, mostly, the inspiration for Lily's Enchanted Forest side. **

**Have any more questions, feel free to ask!  
><strong>

* * *

><p>"Lillian, ya need anything?" Ruby asked the dark-haired teen, smiling when she received a negative shake of the head. Both turned their attention to Graham as he threw another bulls-eye.<p>

"Nice shot, Chief." A drunken Sidney raised his glass mockingly. "I bet you twenty bucks you can't do it again."

Expression never changing, Graham threw back a shot before he tossed the dart and hit another bulls-eye. "Next round's on him." He told Ruby just as Emma entered through the side door.

Lily raised an eyebrow at the open disgust that flashed over Emma's face when she saw Graham. Then again, Lily _had_ heard something the night before when she'd been at Regina's.

Ruby caught sight of Emma and teetered towards her. "Emma! What can I get you?"

"Nothing." The blonde answered shortly before she made a beeline for the back door. Her exit was stopped when Graham threw a dart that embedded itself into the wood right next to her head. "What the hell?" Emma demanded loudly as Lily covered her mouth to hide her snicker. "You could've hit me!"

"I never miss." Graham offered as he wandered over to her. Lily raised an eyebrow at his behavior, though she had to admit he was rather plastered. "You've been avoiding me since last night, when you saw me-"

Emma's voice was a low, harsh whisper. "Leaving the Mayor? And yes, that is a euphemism." She snapped before pulling back from him. "I'm not avoiding you, Graham, I just have no interest in having this conversation. It's your life – I really don't care." With that, the blonde turned on her heel and stalked out of the diner.

Lily and Ruby shared a look when, after a seconds hesitation, Graham took off after her.

"Did she just now figure out that Graham and Regina are bed buddies?" Ruby asked, idly examining her nails. "Honestly, it's pretty obvious."

Lily nodded, sighing as she pushed her book away and shut it. "What's worse is that _I_ was there last night."

Ruby's nose wrinkled in disgust before she was flagged down by Sidney. Sending her friend an apologetic look, the dark-haired server flounced over to the clearly drunk reporter.

With a sigh, Lily reached down and began to fiddle with the charm on her necklace. The small acorn caught the light and she sighed, rubbing at her forehead when the still blurry memories hammered at her brain. Rumple's manipulation of her memories, while rectified years ago, still caused her to have blanks sometimes.

Holding back a whimper, she raised a hand to rub at her now aching head as memories rapidly flashed behind her eyes.

_Playful green eyes flashed at her as she reached up for him. With a smirk, the older boy picked her up and lightly tossed her in the air._

"Lillian?" Ruby asked in concern at the sight of the dark-haired teen hunched over the table. Reaching out, she placed a hand on her friend's tense shoulder. "Sweetie, you okay?"

Pain-filled eyes met hers as Lily struggled to stay in the present. Sending Ruby a strained grimace, she raised both hands and rubbed at her aching eyes.

"I-I'm f-fine-" She managed to slur out before the world around her went black.

Ruby darted forward, catching her friend before she began to yell at the top of her lungs.

"Granny! Call an ambulance!"

* * *

><p><em>"So," Snow began as she and Lilith trudged through the forest. "How did the daughter of a Lord get involved with the Dark One?"<em>

_Aware of the once princess' apprehension, Lilith smiled flatly. "How did a princess turn into a bandit?" She shot back, earning a sheepish grin._

_"I suppose that's fair." Said princess/bandit admitted with a shrug, carefully stepping over a fallen tree. "Regina framed me for my father's murder, sent a huntsman to kill me, and has been hunting me down ever since."_

_That caught Lilith's attention. "She sent a huntsman after you?" She echoed, unable to stop an incredulous tone from entering her voice. "And you survived?"_

_"He ended up deciding that I didn't deserve to die." Snow whispered, a small smile forming on her lips. "Honestly, I don't think I could ever repay him for that."_

_"Well, maybe you'll get the chance." The words left her mouth before she could think, leaving both women to stare at each other in shock._

_A small smile replaced the small 'o' on Snow's lips. "Well, looks like the Dark Lilith isn't as 'dark' as she'd like everyone to believe."_

_"Watch it, Princess."_

* * *

><p>"Well what do you suggest!?" Ruby demanded loudly, looking like she'd like nothing else than to claw Whale's eyes out. The doctor held up his hands, aware that undressing the woman with his eyes would result in him missing a vital body part at the moment.<p>

"Exactly what I said!" He lowered his hands when she fell back to rest at Lily's side. "Look, there's nothing to do except wait for her to wake up!"

The sound of the door opening made them both turn. They also both paled at the sight of a thunderous looking Gold in the doorway.

"Now, when were you planning on telling me that my ward was in the hospital?" He asked quietly, though Whale had enough sense to shiver at the malice he detected in the pawnbroker's tone.

Ruby rolled her eyes, pinning Gold with a glare. "I tried." She hissed flatly. "You didn't answer your phone and I don't know your cell." Seating herself back in the hard, plastic chair, she ignored the two men and grasped Lily's limp hand.

Gold held back a smirk at the sight of Ruby's feisty behavior before he pinned the doctor with a flat look. "And you, Doctor. What's your excuse?"

Whale was saved from answering when an annoyed, gravelly voice came from behind him in the room.

"Would you both bloody shut it?" Lily asked, raising a heavy hand to rub at her eyes. When her eyes landed on Ruby, she raised an eyebrow. "All right, what happened? Why am I in the hospital when you _all _know I hate them?"

As Whale stuttered out an explanation, Lily ignored him in favor of attempting to sit up in bed. With a groan, the dark-haired teen managed that feat with the help of Ruby, hissing when she sat up too fast.

"Do you remember what happened?" Ruby asked in hushed once Gold had gone to check his ward out.

Shaking her head, then grimacing at the action, Lily winced as she tried to form words. "Well, I remember seeing Emma and Graham's fight but..." She frowned. "After that, it's a bit of a blur."

"You passed out, hun." Ruby leaned closer as Gold started towards them, clutching Lily's release papers. "Lillian... Is it the dreams-"

"Well, you're all set to go, Lillian."

Both turned as Gold smiled down at them placidly, his eyes flickering between them. Forcing herself to send Ruby a smile, Lily threw the scratchy hospital covers off her legs and made to stand... only to nearly fall flat on her face.

Grunting from the effort, Gold supported her as Ruby rushed around the bed. With a sigh, the older woman reached down and slung Lily's arm around her shoulder.

"And I thought _I_ was stubborn."

* * *

><p><em>One look around her surroundings made Lily hiss in annoyance.<em>

_"Are you bloody kidding me?!" She demanded loudly, tugging roughly through her hair. "I am _not _in the mood for this."_

_Husky chuckling made her stiffen and she turned, her heart rising with joy when she saw him behind her._

_"Peter?" She whispered, slowly lowering her hands as he continued to lean against the tree._

_"It's me, love." He offered softly and he had barely taken a step away from the tree before she was on him. Though a dream, the heat of her small body was all too real against him and he clutched her to him. Tangling his fingers in her hair, he buried his face in her neck, inhaling deeply as she shuddered against him._

_Pulling back enough to look him in the eye, she managed to whisper, "Why?" His brow creased in confusion as an incredulous light entered his eye. "Every night... I dream of this... Of you still being here..."_

_Her head dropped in a resigned manner. She'd never see him again. She knew that, it was why she had come to dread yet yearn for these nightly visits. _

_Finger's gently trailing across her spine made her look up, a shiver wracking her at the heat in his eyes._

_"I made you a promise, love." He breathed out, using his finger to tilt her chin up. "You're mine... The one I want."_

_Her hands slid from his shoulder to grip his elbows tightly while their bodies seemed to meld together. He leaned closer, pressing a kiss against her forehead as his whisper echoed around them._

_"I told you, you're mine, Tiger Lily. Forever."_

* * *

><p>"Did I upset you?" Henry dared to ask as he and Lily walked towards the school. She sighed deeply and uncrossed her arms, offering a hand to him. He took it with a wide smile and swung it between them.<p>

"I'm not upset with you." She assured as they approached the school building. Turning around and kneeling to his eye level, she smiled. "I just... It's not something I like to talk about, all right?"

He nodded, sending her a wide smile as she hugged him tightly. He returned her embrace before pulling away and racing towards the school. She turned, still kneeling, and smiled after him as he ran into the school. Standing with a wince when her knees popped, she turned and jumped back at the sight of Graham right behind her.

"Graham?" She peered up at him, his bloodshot eyes making her worry. "You okay?"

"Lillian, h-how long have we known each other?" He asked and she frowned suspiciously.

"All my life." She admitted calmly, keeping an eye on his reaction. "You were there when I arrived in Storybrooke after Mr. Gold adopted me."

Granted Lily herself would have no memory of that, as she'd been around three at the time. Honestly, Regina's attention, or lack thereof, to certain details left Lily wanting to wring the mayor's neck at times.

Despite that, as she watched Graham, Lily felt small stirrings of hope rise. "Graham, why are you asking me this?" She asked carefully as he continued to fidget nervously.

"I j-just... I keep having these-these flashbacks and it all feels so real-" He broke off, raising a hand to rub at his aching head.

Lily frowned, reaching up to touch his arm with her hand. Eyes wide, both stared at each other as a vision flashed over them.

_"So you're Regina's personal pet?" The dark-haired girl sneered, arm held up defensively as the Huntsman advanced on her. "Tell me, what does _Her Majesty_ want with me?"_

_She eyed him, taking notice of how jerky his steps were, and the resigned set of his shoulders. As he drew his sword, she brought up her arm and blocked the blow with her wrist guard before she spun around him and dug her hand into the back of his chest._

_Eyes wide, she ripped her hand free and watched as he stumbled to his knees. "She took your heart."_

_Panting, the Huntsman turned to look at her with pleading eyes. "Please, if you can, end my suffering."_

_"I cannot." Her response was soft and shaky. "As long as she has your heart, you can never truly be killed."_

_Tears began to leak out of his closed eyes before he surged to his feet and tried to impale her with a yell._

Gasping, Lily stumbled back from Graham as he stared down at her in shock. She raised a shaky hand to her face, staring at it silently, before she turned her attention back to Graham as he turned and ran from her.

"Graham..." She whispered softly before she dug into her pocket for her phone. Quickly dialing Gold's number, she raised the phone to her ear and kept her eyes on Graham's retreating form. "Gold? I think Graham's remembering."

* * *

><p>"What does this mean?" Lily asked, leaning on the counter with her elbows. Gold was rifling through several books, muttering softly under his breath as she waited impatiently for him to respond.<p>

"It means," he began slowly as he raised his head. "That Ms Swan's presence is having more profound an effect than we anticipated."

"Are you saying she's already breaking the Curse?" Lily asked in alarm. "But, it's too early for-"

"No, no, no. I'm not saying the Curse is breaking." He soothed, waving his hand towards her. "I'm simply saying... It's weakening."

"Weakening how?"

"Well, as you've noticed, time has once again begun to more forward here." At her nod, he continued. "So, it would make sense that, uh, as time moves, some of the more... Sensitive residents, will begin to remember."

While somewhat soothed by his explanation, the vision she'd shared with Graham earlier still bothered her. "But, about what Graham and I saw-"

"Well, perhaps you've managed to carry some residual magic over here with you." Gold offered quietly, now looking rather concerned. "I know Regina and myself managed that feat."

"Yes, but you two planned ahead. I was too busy trying to stop Charming from razing down Regina's castle the months before the Curse was enacted."

"Well, you've always been a rather gifted sorceress, dear." He pointed out with a faint smile. "Perhaps it simply came with you anyway."

With that, he turned back to his books and began to go through them again, leaving her to her thoughts. With a sigh, she glanced at the clock on the wall, realizing she'd have to go get Henry from school soon. Quickly finishing the meager set of tasks that Gold set for her each day, she was soon saying goodbye to her boss and heading back towards the school.

"Did you have a good day?" She asked when Henry came running out towards her.

He shrugged his shoulders before he took her offered hand. "It was school. It never really changes."

She had to agree with him there. From what she'd seen, the curriculum for the school was the same every year, though Henry had the advantage of actually aging. She, however, had never actually attended school in Storybrooke. _Lilian_ had memories of attending up to grade-school before Mr. Gold hired private tutors for her, resulting in her graduating at the age of sixteen.

As they walked down the street, she tightened her grip on his hand, making him look up at her.

"You know that... That name you asked me about?" She began carefully, wincing when he brightened immediately.

"You mean Maia?" He asked, nearly bouncing with excitement.

She nodded hesitantly, ignoring the pain that began to twist around her heart. "I _do_ know that name." She admitted as they walked up to the house and Henry had to be prompted to unlock the door. "Shoes off at the door, I don't want your mother yelling at me again." As he kicked off his shoes and rushed up the stairs, she called after him. "Want ?"

"Chocolate milk!"

Rolling her eyes fondly, Lily kicked off her boots and hung up their coats heading into the kitchen. Pouring Henry said chocolate milk and herself apple cider, she wandered up to the second floor living room in for Henry to come barreling into the room with his book. As they settled onto the couches, Henry suddenly dove behind the love seat and pulled out the pied cloak she'd left for sake keeping.

"Here," he offered, placing it on her lap before he snuggled to her side. "I think it keeps you calm."

"...And I need to be kept calm because...?"

"Well..." His innocent expression made her eyes narrow. "I thought you could tell me about the name 'Maia'."

Holding back a sigh, Lily motioned for him to hand her the book. Cracking it open, she skimmed through the pages until she landed on the illustration he'd been on the night before.

"This," she pointed at the woman. "Is Maia. She was... Taken by a male Fairy-"

"A fairy? A _male_ fairy?"

"Yes. Though...the _Sleagh Maith_ are nothing like the Blue Fairy or the others. Now, _Maia_ was taken by the fairy and given the ability to shrink, like them."

"Wait... Are you saying this woman is Thu-"

A rather loud knock cut their conversation to a halt. Handing the book to him, Lily stepped off the couch and peered outside the window to see the man currently pounding on the door.

"What's Graham doing here?"

* * *

><p><em>With a sickening squish, Lilith yanked the heart out of the Black Knight and raised it to her lips.<em>

_"You will back away from Snow White, return to the Queen's castle, and tell _no one_ we were here." She ordered flatly, watching as the man proceeded to do just that. Sighing with disgust, she pulled out a small, cloth sack and dropped the heart in it. "Are you okay?" Replacing the bag on her belt, she stepped forward and offered a hand to the downed princess._

_"Y-yes. I-I think so." She stuttered out, still staring at Lilith with wide eyes, something the younger woman was all too familiar with._

_Sighing, Lilith retracted her hand when Snow made no move to take it. "So, ready to cast me out of your company?"_

_"What?" Snow asked, sounding rather stunned at the other female's words. Shaking her head, the princess forced herself to her feet and, without thinking, reached out and gripped Lilith's arms. "No! No, of course not!"_

_Eying her dubiously while holding back the urge to flinch from her touch, Lilith raised an eyebrow. "You just saw me rip out a heart." She reminded Snow flatly._

_Snow's eyes widened, though she continued to shake her head. "But that's... That's just who you are, Lilith." She pulled her hands from Lilith's shoulders to grasp her clenched hands. "You don't have to be afraid of who you are. Especially with us."_

_A humorless chuckle escaped Lilith's mouth._

_"I don't even know who _I_ am anymore."_

* * *

><p>"Hey, Sheriff." Henry answered once he'd opened the door to put an end to Graham's incessant knocking. "My mom's not here."<p>

Graham shifted awkwardly, still looking very out of it. "Actually, uh, I'm here to see you, Henry. I was hoping you could help me."

Henry turned to share a long look with Lily, who shrugged.

"Help you with what?"

"It's about your book. Am I… " Graham began hesitantly. "In it?"

Eyes wide, Henry quickly motioned for Graham to come in before he sprinted up the stairs. Sighing at his actions, Lily began to follow at a more sedate pace, jerking her head at Graham to follow.

"Well, come on."

As all three settled onto Henry's bed, the book opened on said boy's lap, Henry began to speak. "When did your flashes begin?"

"Uh, right after I kissed Emma." Graham stuttered out awkwardly, though said awkwardness completely passed over Henry's excited head.

"You kissed my mom? What did you see?"

"A wolf." Graham answered immediately. "I saw that I had a knife in my hand and I was with Mary Margaret." He glanced at Lily, pausing for several seconds. "And this morning... When Lillian touched my arm I saw her and I... Fighting."

Henry, after sending Lily a dirty look, eyed Graham curiously. "Were you about to hurt her?"

"Yes! How do you know that?"

"Because Mary Margaret is Snow White." Henry answered as if it was the simplest explanation. "Which makes you the Huntsman."

Lily watched Graham closely, smirking inwardly when little to no doubt showed on his face. The idea that yet another person could remember excited her far more than it should.

"So, you really think that I could be another person." It came out as more of a statement.

Henry nodded rapidly. "Makes total sense. You were raised by wolves – that's why you keep seeing one." He explained as Graham listened intently. "It's your friend – your guide. It's trying to help you."

"I'm remembering this because I kissed your mother?" Graham asked, doubt steadily creeping back into his voice. "H-How is that possible?"

"Well, you two do have a special connection. She owes you her life."

"Why?"

"Snow White's her mother and you spared her." Henry sent him a smile. "If you hadn't, my mom wouldn't have been born."

Graham blinked in shock before he attempted to refocus the conversation. "Wh-What happened after I spared Snow White?"

"The Queen took your heart." Lily spoke up softly, sending Graham a sad smile when he turned his attention to her. "She ripped it out... That's her specialty. She never wanted you to be able to feel again."

Graham's brow creased. "Let me see that book." He took the book and flipped through the pages, coming to a stop when he found an illustration. All three gazed at the image of the Evil Queen in front of a building that Lily recognized as Regina's vault. "What's that?" Graham asked, pointing at the vault. "I saw that, too. The wolf was howling at it."

"That's her vault."

"It's where she put your heart." Henry added.

Graham stood quickly from the bed. "The wolf wants me to find it." He turned to the two on the bed. "Thank you, Henry, Lillian."

Both frowning, Lily and Henry turned as Graham rushed from the room. She scrambled to the window, holding back a relieved sigh when she saw Emma in front of the house.

"Lillian, will he be okay?" Henry asked in a small voice, making Lily turn to face him.

Smiling fondly, she offered her arms and Henry rushed into them. "Yeah," she whispered, lightly stroking his hair. "Yeah, I think Graham's gonna be just fine."

Hours later, the loud slamming of a door made Lily and Henry jerk awake on the couch. Rising slowly, she helped Henry sit up before she slid out from under the pied cloak and wandered to the door.

"Regina?" She called, freezing when she caught sight of the mayor's tear-stained and miserable face. "Regina, what happened? Are you all right?"

By now, Henry had risen and joined his baby-sitter in the hallway to stare at his mother. "Mom... What is it?"

Regina heaved out a sigh-like sob before she raised her bloodshot eyes to meet their gazes. Lily felt her eyes widening before she reached out and drew Henry closer to her.

"Henry... Lillian. Graham is... Dead."

* * *

><p><strong>Thoughts? Comments? Questions?<br>**


	8. Into the Deep

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot and any unrecognizable characters and dialogue. **

**It's awesome that you all like the rewrite and that liked the last chapter! Here's the next one!**

**And kudos to findingyouagain for deducing who 'Maia' is ;) I gotta say, I'm surprised you new that little fact!**

* * *

><p>Sighing deeply, Lily methodically turned knob of the door to her rarely used room in Gold's manor. Her heels clicked against the wooden floor as she entered the room and frowned at the light layer of dust.<p>

Heaving another sigh, she placed her small purse down on the elegantly carved vanity that took up an entire corner of the room. Reaching down, she slipped off her heels before she lowered herself onto the bed.

She heard the door opening behind her, though kept her eyes on the window overlooking the woods. Soft footsteps came closer until Henry was by her side, hovering hesitantly at the blank expression she wore.

Finally he plucked up the courage to whisper, "Lillian?"

A cross between a sob and a sigh left her as Henry settled against her side, gripping her hand tightly in both of his. She wrapped her free arm around him, pressing her face against his head as tears began to leak out of her closed eyes. He pressed closer, holding back his own sobs as they clung to each other tightly.

Neither noticed Gold watching them from the door, his face drawn and tight.

* * *

><p><em>"Where are you, girl?!" <em>

_Panting, Lily slipped behind the tree and covered her mouth as hoof beats thundered past the hiding spot. Her eyes shut tightly as the hoof beats slowed to a stop._

_"She couldn't have gotten far, and our Lord wants her back by tonight." A gruff voice stated as the sound of boots hitting the ground came._

_Biting her lower lip so hard that she could taste blood, Lily stifled a whimper. As the footsteps came closer, she edged around the tree before taking off at a sprint. A hand reached out and grabbed ahold of her ankle, sending her to the ground with a hard to get away, she was roughly turned around to see the Baron's head Huntsman._

_Sneering down at the little girl, the burly man called to his partner. "Get the rope!" He snapped back to the girl when she opened her mouth to scream and covered her mouth with his hand. "Shut up, you insolent brat!" He turned back to his partner as he was handed rope. "Get a gag!"_

_Wide-eyed, Lily started to twist violently in his grasp as he tied her mud-caked hands together behind her back. Seconds before the gag was placed over her mouth, she inhaled deeply and shouted, "Rumpelstiltskin, I summon thee!"_

_The Huntsman ignored her words, quickly gagging her before he tossed her over his shoulder. Turning back to his partner, who sent the girl a pitying look, he slung the wriggling girl on the back of his horse._

_"Quit struggling, little girl." Lily turned frightened blue eyes to the other man. "It'll be easier-"_

_"Ooh! How right you are, dearie!" A chirpy voice trilled loudly._

_All eyes turned to the cloaked figure standing several feet away. The man raised his head and the two men gasped at the glowing amber eyes. Lily renewed her struggles at their lack of attention and managed to fall off the horse. She winced, tears springing to her eyes when her already bruised and battered body hit the dirt._

_"Now," the man continued, flinging his cloak off flamboyantly to the side. "What ever are you two gentleman doing to that sweet, little girl?"_

_"Leave here, Dark One." The Huntsman warned, drawing his sword. "This is none of your concern." _

_The man tilted his head and glanced at the bound and gagged little girl. Eyes twinkling with malice, he gazed at her curiously before turning back to the men. "Well, as the little girl summoned me, and pronounced my name correctly, mind you," at that, he sent Lily a quick wink. "I do believe that this had become my business, don't you?"_

_Without answering, the Huntsman began to advance on the Dark One as his partner stayed behind, sword drawn. Smiling serenely, Rumpelstiltskin turned to look at the teary-eyed girl and titled his head._

_"Do you want to go with these men?" _

_When Lily shook her head frantically, tears streaming down her dirt-streaked face, his smile twisted. He turned his attention back to the huntsman, his voice sing-song. _

_"Then I have my answer, dearie."_

* * *

><p>Her nose wrinkled at the smell, though Lily continued to categorize the items in one of the many cupboards. Gold was still spreading lanolin on a strip of cloth when Emma's voice came from the front.<p>

"Gold! In here?"

Said man rolled his eyes, muttering to himself. "Well, it _is_ my shop."

Lily turned around as Emma entered the back room, watching as the blonde immediately recoiled. "Whoa!" She raised a hand to cover her noise. "What is that?"

"Oh, this is lanolin – used for waterproofing." Gold explained offhandedly.

"It smells like livestock."

Lily deadpanned. "Well, it _is _the reason why sheep's wool repels water."

"It stinks." Emma stated unnecessarily. "Um, if there was a reason you called the Sheriff's Department… If you want to talk about that quickly-" She gestured to the front of the shop, still wincing from the smell.

"Yes." Gold made no attempt to move.

"Or outside… " Emma trailed off as Gold finally stood and stepped around the table.

"I just wanted to, uh, express my condolences, really. The Sheriff was a good man." He said, aware of both Emma and Lily's wince. "You're still wearing the Deputy's badge." Emma glanced down at said badge. "Well, he's been gone two weeks, now, and I believe that after two weeks of acting as Sheriff, the job becomes yours. You'll have to wear the real badge."

She shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. I'm just not in a hurry. So, um, thank you for the kind words." She said awkwardly, clearly not used to receiving sympathy, much yes thanking anyone.

That said, she turned to leave while Gold followed her to the front of the shop. Lily frowned, setting down the book she'd been marking before she followed them as well.

"I have his things." Gold said suddenly, making Emma turn around.

"What?"

Lily followed him as he walked to a box on the counter. "The Sheriff. He rented an apartment that I own." Gold explained as he took the lid off. "Another reason for my call, really. I wanted to offer you a keepsake."

"I don't need anything."

"As you wish." He acquiesced easily, though Lily caught the glint in his eye. "Well, give them to Mayor Mills. Seems like she was the closest thing he had to family."

As predicted, Emma bristled at his words. "I'm not sure about that."

"No love lost there, I see." A small smirk flitted across Gold's face before a somber expression replaced it. "Look, I feel that all of this stuff is headed for the trash bin – you really should take something. Look – his jacket." He produced Graham's leather jacket from the box.

Lily watched as Emma recoiled like she'd been sprayed with acid. "No."

"Well, look. Your boy might like these, don't you think?" He set down the jacket and pulled out a pair of walkie talkies. "You could play together."

"I don't-"

"No, please." Gold began and Emma stiffened at his earnest tone. "They… They grow up so fast."

Eying him oddly, the blonde reached out to take the radios. "Thanks."

"You enjoy these with your boy. Your time together is precious, you know?" Lily reached out and placed a hand on his arm as Emma looked at them. "That's the thing about children – before you know it, you lose them."

* * *

><p>Silently, Lily followed Henry across the sand as they walked to his castle. Neither had spoken a word since she'd picked him up from school. Lily had simply allowed him to lead the way to his castle and soon both were sitting on the structure and staring out towards the water.<p>

Lost in her thoughts, Lily didn't react when Henry laid his head on her shoulder.

"Do you miss it?"

She still didn't move. "Do I miss what?"

"Your home. Having magic. Being... " He trailed off awkwardly as he felt her stiffen underneath his head.

"Evil?" She finished flatly, waiting until Henry nodded until she continued. "I miss my magic, yes. Granted, I think we have different definitions of the word 'evil'."

"What do you mean?"

Lily raised her head to look back out at the ocean, closing her eyes as a breeze blew across her face. "I learned magic for revenge... Then I only did it because it was my way of repaying Rumpelstiltskin."

"Repay him for what?"

"For saving me."

"Hey, kid!" Both turned at the sight of Emma approaching the playground. She sat on the other side of Henry and handed him one of the walkie talkies Gold had given her earlier. "Brought you something. Thought we could use them together for Operation Cobra."

Henry took it, mechanically saying, "Thanks."

"Oh, come on! What's up?" His mother lightly bumped her shoulder against him. "You've been ducking me for weeks."

"I think we should stop Cobra stuff for a while. You don't play with the curse." He said gravely. "Look what happened to Graham."

Emma frowned patiently. "Henry, I told you they did an autopsy. It was totally natural causes."

"Okay, whatever. You don't believe – good." Lily saw Emma start at his words. "That should keep you from messing with it. And getting killed."

"You're worried about me?" Emma asked softly, the surprise in her voice making Lily want to bash her in the head.

"She killed Graham because he was good – and you're good."

"Henry…"

Henry continued, "Good loses – good always loses. Because good has to play fair – evil doesn't." Lily pushed off the small ledge and turned, offering her hand to Henry. "She's evil. This is probably best. I don't want to upset her anymore." He handed the walkie talkie back to Emma before taking Lily's hand.

Holding hands, they walked away from the playground as Emma's wide eyes followed them.

* * *

><p><em>"Enough of this!" The huntsman snarled and moved forward, intent on running this man through with his sword. Wide-eyed, Lily made to scream before the man suddenly froze. "What... Is this?" <em>

_Watching with morbid fascination, Lily saw Rumpelstiltskin pull his hand away from the huntsman's chest. In his hand, he held a glowing, beating heart.  
><em>

_"That, dearie. Is the power of the Dark One." Rumpelstiltskin glanced at Lily before he spoke to the huntsman. "Now, untie the girl, remove her gag her and let her come to me."_

_To her shock, the huntsman did as the Dark One said. He took stiff steps towards her and crouched down, untying the ropes and removing gag quickly. Once she was free, Lily scrambled away from the three and looked between them warily.  
><em>

_"Come here, dearie." Rumpelstiltskin crooned, watching as she turned her eyes to him again. Despite her horror, he'd seen the flash of curiosity in her gaze. Slowly, Lily stood and took hesitant steps toward him, taking his offered hand. He drew her against his side before he looked back at the heart in his grasp. "So, what does the young lady think I should do with the heart of this man?"  
><em>

_Lily looked from the heart, to Rumpelstiltskin's amused face, to the pleading one of the huntsman. Anger filled her, making her small chest burn at the sight of his expression. She knew, without a doubt, that he would have taken her back to the Baron her brother had sold her to. Mind made up, she turned to the Dark One with such an expression of anger that her features almost looked feral._

_"Make him pay."_

_Giggling happily, Rumpelstiltskin did as she bade. Crushing the heart slowly, both watched as the huntsman collapsed to the ground with a deep, shuddering gasp. Still rather amused, Rumpelstiltskin opened his palm, allowing Lily to see the dust falling to the ground._

_"Please, don't hurt me." The forgotten man begged, though he paled rapidly when both turned their attention to him. _

_He watched as the Dark One glanced at the little girl, who nodded savagely. Trilling out another laugh, the amber-eyed man gave her a pat on the head before he was on the other man. Bringing up his sword, the apprentice huntsman tried to run the Dark One through, only for his weapon to pass harmlessly through the other man's chest.  
><em>

_"Please! I was only following orders!"  
><em>

_The little girl they'd been sent to retrieved gazed at him with unforgiving eyes. "You should have thought about that before you tried to take me back to him!"_

_With that, Rumpelstiltskin plunged his hand into the man's chest and yanked out his beating heart. Crushing it, quicker than he had the other one, he watched as the man collapsed to the ground.  
><em>

_As she watched dust trickle to the ground, Lily felt a relieved smile form on her face. She was free. Finally free of the lord of these lands. "Thank you, sir." She whispered,still smiling as the Dark One turned his eyes back towards her.  
><em>

_"No thanks needed, dearie." He sent her a fond smile. "I haven't had this much fun in ages, nor have I met someone so promising at such a tender age." He tilted his head, seemingly struck by something. "Speaking of which, how old are you?"_

_"Eight years old, sir. I'll be nine, come midwinter." _

_He nodded, gently patting her cheek. "Well, I shall be a gentleman and accompany you to the nearest village." He frowned when the girl looked down.  
><em>

_"My parents are dead, sir. I only have my brother, and he sold me to the Lord of these lands." _

_He tsked in a disapproving manner. Waving his hand, he made her little chin tilt up so he could look her in the eye. "Well, I shall take you to the next village, surely there is someone willing to care for you."  
><em>

_Once again, she looked down, breaking his hold on her chin. She didn't notice his expression of shock and he stared down at her in growing wonder._

_"The nearest village belongs to this lord, and he has a bounty on my head, sir." Struck by a sudden idea, she raised her head in excitement. "Let me come with you! I want to learn what you do, how to crush hearts into dust!"  
><em>

_"You're a little young to study magic, dearie." He pointed out, though there was no hiding the lack of conviction in his words.  
><em>

_"But, I need to protect myself, please! I need my revenge!" _

_His eyes lit up and he leaned down until their noses nearly touched. Placing a hand on her bony shoulder to steady her, he smirked. "Revenge, you say?" She nodded and he cackled with glee. "Now you're talkin'. If one can feel hate at such a young age, one can learn from the Dark One." Straightening up, he stared at her speculatively. "How about a deal? I teach you magic and take you as my student, if you promise to become my assistant?"  
><em>

_Her answering smile made one form on his mouth. Nodding rapidly, the little girl beamed up at him as he felt his chest swell slightly. He pushed down the feeling and twisted his hand in the air. A small, dark cloak formed in his grip, and he offered it to the child before him._

_As she put it on, he suddenly remembered he didn't even know how to address her. "What's your name, dearie?" At her answer, his eyes widened as he looked at the child before him with new eyes._

_"Lily."_

* * *

><p>As she left Henry for the night, thankfully without stabbing Regina in the eye, Lily sighed when her phone began to vibrate.<p>

"Hello?"

"Lillian, if you could, meet me at Miss Blanchard's apartment in ten minutes."

She frowned at Gold's words. "May I ask why?"

"Oh, we're going to offer Miss Swan our services." Was all she got before he hung up.

Frowning at the plastic device she held, she pocketed it before she headed down the street towards said apartment. Aware that she was early, Lily simply waited on the staircase for her guardian to show up. Minutes ticked by and she nearly sighed with relief when Gold entered the stairwell, a binder tucked under his arm.

Without a word, both ascended the stairs to the apartment and Gold reached out to knock on the door. Emma swung it open, her eyes widening at the two behind it while Mary Margaret peered over her shoulder.

"Good evening, Miss Swan." He greeted softly. "Sorry for the intrusion. There's something I'd like to discuss with you."

"I'll let you two talk." Mary Margaret murmured before she darted up the stairs.

Emma gestured. "Come on in."

"Thank you." Gold stepped into the apartment, Lily at his heels. "I, uh… I heard about what happened. Such an injustice."

"Yeah, well, what's done is done."

His lips twitch. "Spoken like a true fighter."

"I don't know what chance I have." Emma admitted with a shrug. "She's Mayor and I'm, well, me."

"Miss Swan, two people with a common goal can accomplish many things." Gold said as a faint smirk formed on his lips. "Two people with a common enemy can accomplish even more. How would you like a benefactor?"

She frowned at him while Lily rolled her eyes. "A benefactor?"

Gold nodded before he gestured to the table. "You mind?" All three stepped to the table, Lily and Gold taking seats while Emma seated herself across from them. He picked up the binder and placed it on the table, opening it and skimming through the pages.

"You know, it really is quite shocking how few people study the town charter." He muttered, running a finger along the page.

"The town charter?" Emma asked as Lily leaned closer to his shoulder and skimmed through the charter.

"Well, it's quite comprehensive." He admitted, a smirk once again forming on his mouth. "And the Mayor's authority? Well, maybe she's not quite as powerful as she seems."

* * *

><p><em>"So, what shall we call you?" Rumpelstiltskin asked as he and Lily traveled down the road.<em>

_The little girl started, looking up at him past the hood of her cloak. Confusion and innocence filled her pale, thin face, the sight of it reminding him so much of Bae that the ache in his chest worsened. He took another second for his eyes to travel over her cloaked body, a frown marring his features at how thin she was. Obviously, this _Baron_, she'd been sold to by her own brother hadn't taken very good care of her._

_He quickly made a mental note to go track down her brother and introduce him to the underside of his boot._

_"Well, you see, if you're to become my apprentice, you must have a name that strikes _fear_ into the hearts of mortals!" He trilled, steeping his fingers together in thought.  
><em>

_For her part, Lily's brow creased as she attempted to think of a name like he wanted. Biting her lip, she immediately whimpered when her teeth connected with the sore split from earlier. Hearing the noise, Rumpelstiltskin kneeled down and raised a glowing hand to her now bleeding lip. Waving it over the wound, it closed immediately and left her staring up at him in awe._

_"Thank you!" She smiled up at him, earning a nod in return.  
><em>

_"No thanks needed, dearie. Now, about your name... " He paused, tapping his chin lightly with one finger before he suddenly clapped in glee. Releasing a loud, high-pitched giggle, he once again kneeled down to her level. "How about... The Dark Lilith?"_

* * *

><p>"Henry, would you quit it? You're going to give me a migraine." Lily teased, rolling her eyes when Henry continued to pace around her room at the inn.<p>

"But, she's gonna get hurt! Or worse!" He fretted. Ever since he'd learned that Emma was planning to run against Sidney for Sheriff, Lily hadn't been able to calm him down. "She can't go against my mom, she just can't!"

"Henry," fed up, she stood and gripped his shoulders to make him stop. "Look, she'll be okay. I promise."

"That's what you said about Graham."

All the breath left her chest at that statement. Closing her eyes, she drew away from Henry and turned to go sit on the bed. A violent sigh escaped her lungs moments before the bed dipped slightly.

"I-I'm sorry, Lily." She turned to stare at him silently. "I'm just worried about Emma... Do you really think Gold'll be able to help her?"

Looking away from him, she rubbed a hand over her tired face ebfore answering. "I'm sure he'll do everything in his power to help Emma, Henry."

Henry, thankfully, was tactful enough to drop the subject. They spent the next few hours going over Henry's homework before she took him home. She frowned when Regina sauntered down the stairs, looking far too pleased with herself for Lily's comfort.

When Gold handed her the paper the next day, it thankfully explained the source of Regina's glee... Infuriating Lily in the process. Slamming the copy of the paper down in the desk, Lily held in the urge to scream as Gold watched her wearily.

"How the hell could she do this?!" The teen screeched loudly, breathing heavily as anger overwhelmed her.

As he watched, Gold frowned when he saw a flash of red overtake Lily's usually blue eyes. Shaking his head, he filed that bit of information away for later as he attempted to calm his enraged ward.

"The 'how' and 'why' isn't important right now." He placated, though wasn't surprised when she continued to look like she'd happily rip Regina's heart out with her bare hands. "What is important, is that we see to it that Regina's is punished for using such an, uh, underhanded tactic."

Hearing the tone of his voice, Lily slowly rounded on him. Leaning forwards, she narrowed her eyes when a smirk formed on his face.

"What did you have in mind?"

* * *

><p>"So, any plans for the night?" Ruby asked, playfully shimmy of her hips towards Lily, who laughed in response.<p>

"Ah, no. Not the kind you're thinking, Rubes." She shot back as they walked down the street. "I'm supposed to get Henry from Archie's and then-"

A rather loud explosion jarred them, cutting off Lily's reply as both women turned in the direction of the noise. At the sight of smoke rising from the city hall, Lily and Ruby raced towards it. They arrived in time to see Emma supporting Regina as they exited the smoldering building. As the ambulances arrived, Lily saw Henry and Archie arrive and rushed to them, Ruby at her heels.

"Henry!" At the sight of her, he rocketed into her arms as she cradled him to her. Turning to look back toward the building, she caught sight of Regina on a stretcher with an oxygen mask while Emma hovered awkwardly by herself.

"Did Emma really rescue my mom!?" Henry asked one of the fireman, who nodded with a smile. Cheering softly, the little boy turned his attention back to Emma. Lily, however, watched as Regina threw a hissy fit with a smirk. "Emma!" Henry called from his spot at Lily's side.

Emma looked over, rushing to the small group as Mary Margaret and Granny joined them.

"Henry."

"Did you really rescue Regina?: Mary Margaret asked the moment Emma was within earshot.

Henry practically bounced. "She did! The fireman said it. They saw it."

"You are a hero." Ruby praised with a smile.

"Ooh! We should see if they have a picture of the rescue." Lily suggested, earning nods of agreement.

Granny added, "We could make campaign posters."

"Oh, people would love that!" Archie enthused. "That's a great idea. Wait, so… "

The group, minus Lily, Henry and Emma walked away. The blonde turned to her son, smiling widely down at him.

"This is how good wins. You do something good and people see it, and then they want to help you."

Henry smiled back at her. "Maybe you're right."

"You see, Henry? We don't have to fight dirty." Emma promised just before Regina began to practically screech for her son.

Sighing angrily, Lily, after letting Henry sneak a hug, trudged over to the irate mayor with her son. Turning to look at the wreckage, Lily allowed a smirk to form when she saw Emma picking up a piece of the lanolin covered cloth.

* * *

><p>"Did Emma already come by?" Lily asked, running her fingers over an ornately carved dagger hilt.<p>

"Yes she did. Miss Swan seemed quite, uh, distressed by our little trick." He muttered, raising his eyes in time to see Lily's amused smirk.

"Well, she'd better get used to it if she's actually planning on staying." She remarked as she placed the weapon back into it's velvet lined box. Turning to her guardian, she eyed him calmly. "Think she'll do it?"

He returned the look. "Only one way to find out, dear."

She returned the smile blossoming on his face. "Well, it _is_ something she'd do." Which was exactly what they were banking on.

Hours later, as Lily and Henry sat watching the debate, the former had to hold back the smirk when Emma stood and began to speak. Henry was beaming up at her and Lily saw Emma wince at the adoration that practically flowed from the little boy.

"You guys all know I have what they call a, uh… Troubled past." She admitted with a grimace while Lily shot Regina a scathing look. "But, you've been able to overlook it because of the, um… Hero thing. But here's the thing – the fire was a setup." Murmurs rose in the crowd and several heads turned to glance at the stony-faced pawnbroker. "Mr. Gold agreed to support me in this race, but I didn't know that that meant he was going to set a fire. I don't have definitive evidence, but I'm sure." Emma pinned Gold with a flat look before she turned her attention to the stirring crowd. "And the worst part of all this was – the worst part of all this is – I let you all think it was real. And I can't win that way. I'm sorry."

The sound of movement made Lily turn to see Gold standing and leaving the debate with deliberate steps. Keeping her face blank, she turned back to the front as Emma stepped away from the podium and into the wings of the stage. As the crowd continued to murmur amongst themselves, Lily turned to look down at Henry.

He was frowning heavily, though his lips began to twitch seconds before Lily saw a grin break across his face. Turning to face her, she found herself nodding before the words escaped his lips.

"Come on." She whispered before they too stood up and fled the hall, though the crowd was too preoccupied with the events to truly notice. They traveled down the street towards Granny's, Henry basically running as Lily followed with long strides. Predictably, Emma was at the bar drinking when Henry and Lily arrived at the diner. Heading towards her, the little boy pulled himself onto the bar stool next to her as Lily settled on his other side.

"Hey, Henry." Was all Emma offered as she cradled her drink.

Without a word, Henry pulled a walkie talkie out of his book bag and handed it to Emma.

"What's this for?"

Henry smiled. "You stood up to Mr. Gold."

"And let me tell you, that's pretty amazing." Lily drawled from her spot.

Emma sent her a flat look before refocusing on Henry. "Well, he did something illegal."

"That's what heroes do – expose stuff like that." He looked up and met his mother's eye. "I shouldn't have given up on Operation: Cobra."

Lily turned away from the sickeningly sweet display when the door opened and smirked when Regina and Sidney entered the diner.

"I thought I might find you here." Regina paused, looking at the glass in front of Emma. "With a drink." She turned to look pointedly at Henry. "And my son."

Emma ignored her in favor of Sidney. "Here to card me, officer?"

"Well, not at all. In fact, I think I'll join you." he said, making Lily and Emma share a look over Henry's head.

"Here?" Emma asked in surprise.

"You know, I think they're setting up a back room for the victory party." Lily jabbed a thumbed in the direction of the back.

"Oh, well, you'll have to tell me what that's like." Sidney shot back calmly, a hint of smile on his face.

"Congratulations. …Sheriff Swan." As if it pained her, Regina slowly produced the Sheriff's badge and placed it on the counter in front of Emma.

"Wait, what?" Henry asked as Emma stared at the badge in shock as more and more people began to file into the diner.

"It was a very close vote," Regina explained dryly as Emma picked up the badge. "But people really seem to like the idea of a Sheriff brave enough to stand up to Mr. Gold.

"Are you joking?"

"She doesn't joke." Lily deadpanned while Sidney defended.

"You didn't pick a great friend in Mr. Gold, Miss Swan, but he does make a superlative enemy." Regina reached out to tap the badge. "Enjoy that."

With that, the mayor turned on her designer heel and stalked off, Sidney trailing after her like a lost puppy. Turning back to the two beside her, Lily watched as Henry released a loud whoop before he attached himself to Emma's side.

Letting out a stunned laugh, Emma returned the embrace as others began to crowd around the new Sheriff and congratulate her. Lily hung back, watching with a smile as Ruby sneaked her a shot of whiskey with a wink. She watched as suspicion filled Emma's face, turning into realization before the older woman managed to slip away from the party with determined strides.

Inwardly amused at Emma's expression, Lily turned around when Henry caught her around the waist in a hug.

"It's happening!" He lifted his head, still pressed against her, and grinned. "She's breaking the curse!"

"Yeah," a smile curled up her cheek. "Yeah, she is."

* * *

><p><strong>Thoughts? Comments? Questions?<strong>


	9. True North

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot and any unrecognizable characters and dialogue.**

**Hope you like this chappie!**

**And, yes, Lily's red eyes mean that she still has some magic. That will come in handy down the road!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Lily looked up at Mr. Clark's tone. Frowning, she put down the magazine she'd been skimming and stepped towards the counter. "Open up your bag."<p>

Henry and two children Lily didn't recognize, though they wore school uniforms, were cowering from the pharmacy owner.

"What?" Henry asked, looking positively bewildered.

"Don't think I didn't see you rob me." Clark snapped. "Open your bag."

"I didn't take anything." Was all Henry got out before Clark snatched his book bag from him.

Lily had had enough. "Hey!" She snapped out, stalking forward and planting her hands on the counter. "Watch it, Clark!"

The man flinched at her warning, earning her looks of awe from the children behind her. Shaking away his slight terror at the sight of Lillian Gold, Clark reached into Henry's book bag and pulled out a handful of candy.

Pinning said boy with a stare, he sneered, "And a liar, too."

Frowning angrily now, Lily whirled around in time to see Henry glaring at the children next to him.

"That's why you were talking to me." He accused softly. "So your brother could put that stuff in there."

"Henry… I'm shocked." Clark chastised, turning his attention to the two siblings. "And you two – just who do you think you are?"

_I think I know_, Lily thought as she watched the two sheepish children. _Hansel and Gretel_?

* * *

><p><em>Releasing a shaking sigh, Lilith sank down on the steps before the beautifully etched mausoleum. She raised her head and stared at the sight of her family's crest craved into the head of the stone. <em>Strange,_ she thought in detached blankness. _I thought I would feel... Something. _The lack of reaction assured her the spell stayed in place._

_Granted, she wasn't sure how reassuring it should be that she couldn't even feel sorrow at her parents' graves. Looking down with a soft sigh, she stiffened when the back of her neck prickled unpleasantly. Her head raised and she glanced around the cemetery._

_'Lily.'_

_The whisper brushed against her ear and sent her to her feet. Ignoring the shiver that went down her spine, she spun around slowly. The only sound was the whistling of the wind through the trees. Eyes narrowed, she turned back to the mausoleum and blinked when the doors began to creak open. _

_'Lily.'  
><em>

_Her foot climbed to the next step, its partner following suit until she stood in front of the now open doors. Raising her hand, she stiffened when a shout came from behind her._

_"My Lady!"_

_She spun on her heel to see a middle-aged man rushing towards her. Ignoring the voice telling her he seemed familiar, she raised her hand. Responding to her silent command, roots erupted from the ground and pinned the approaching man down. Stepping down the stairs leading from the mausoleum, she stalked towards the intruder._

_"What are you doing here?!" She demanded flatly, dimly wondering where Peter was and why he hadn't noticed this man. "These are _my_ lands and you are trespassing-"_

_"Lady Lily, please- " the man gasped out as the roots continued to wrap around his throat. _

_Stilling at the title she hadn't heard in years, she stopped the roots and allowed them to unravel. Keeping him bound, she crouched down and stared at the man before her._

_"Who are you?" She asked warily. "And how do you know my name?"_

_Panting for breath, the man took in several large gulps of air before he was able to speak. "I-I am Jacquimo, my lady. I w-was a friend of Lady Katerina's."_

_"You knew... My mother... " She trailed off, her eyes widening as she stared down at him. Flashes of a kind, gentle face smiling down at her as he handed her a flower hit her. With a gasp, she refocused om the man and realization filled her. "You."_

_"Yes, my lady." He nodded as best he could. "I was there the day your mother's condition took a turn for the worse."_

* * *

><p>"Henry didn't do this, Clark." Indignant anger poured off the girl in front of him, making the much older man nearly cower in fear.<p>

"Listen, Miss Gold-"

"It's _Ms_." Lily snapped back, her eyes narrowed dangerously. She reached out, gripping Henry's shoulder and pinned Clark with yet another glare. "And for all that is good and holy, it's Henry! Little," she ignored Henry's annoyed scoff, "Henry Mills! He wouldn't even jaywalk, much less steal from anyone!"

At the sound of snickers, she whirled around to face the two children. Plastering a sickeningly sweet smile on her lips, she leaned towards them.

"If you didn't know, dears, my guardian _owns _the town." She hissed out, watching as they began to pale rapidly. "So, I have a way of finding things out. _Certain_. _Things_."

That said, she drew away from them as they turned to each other in disbelief. The idea that this girl knew their secret was a terrifying reality that kept their mouths firmly shut.

The bell sounded and Lily turned and was never more relieved to see Regina in her life.

"Regina," she started, smirking when the Mayor waltzed up to the counter and stood by her side. Turning back to Clark, who was now looking rather nervous, she spoke to the woman beside her. "I'm sorry I had to call you away from the office, but Mr. Clark was insistent."

"Yes, about something rather disturbing." Regina fixed Clark with a dark look. "Something I don't believe."

"Well, I'm sorry, Madam Mayor, but your son was shoplifting." Clark blustered, looking like he'd like to sink into the tiles beneath him.

Turning from the man, Regina looked down at Henry, who was plastered to Lily's side. "Were you?" She asked simply.

Just as shortly, Henry shook his head as Lily gripped his hand.

"Look for yourself." Clark offered. He gestured towards the candy spilling out of Henry's book bag on the counter.

"My son doesn't eat candy." Regina said coolly. "Right Lillian?" At the babysitter's nod, she turned back to Clark. "And he knows better than to steal. It was obviously those two." Her lips curled derisively at the two sullen children. "We're going."

Turning on her heel, she stalked for the door as Lily and Henry followed. Emma entered moments before they reached it and the blonde focused immediately on Henry.

"Henry. What happened?"

"Miss Swan, must I remind you that genetics mean nothing." Regina hissed as Emma's head snapped from Henry to her. "You're not his mother and it's all taken care of."

Emma barely held back her exasperation. "I'm here because I'm the Sheriff."

"Oh, that's right. Go on – do your job." Regina gestured back to Ava and Nicholas. "Take care of those miscreants."

Without another word, she swept from the store. Sending Emma a shrug, Lily followed after Henry waved to the blonde. As they caught up with Regina, she turned and raised an eyebrow at Lily, who returned the gesture.

"Yes...?"

"Oh, just thinking how nice it is to have Gold in _my_ corner, now and again."

Blinking in shock that Regina had actually admitted she _enjoyed_ having Lily around, she was unable to respond verbally when Regina herded them to her car.

After having dinner with the mother/son pair, Lily ended up heading to Mary Margaret's. When she entered the apartment, she froze at the sight of Ava and Nicholas Zimmer sitting at the dinner table.

Emma and Mary Margaret turned in time for Lily to sigh.

"Bloody, buggering hell."

* * *

><p><em>At his words, her hand unclenched. The roots unraveled, trailing back into the ground as Jacquimo gasped for breath. Lilith watched dispassionately as the man wheezed, rubbing at his sore throat in an attempt to sooth the damage.<em>

_He raised his eyes, taking in the daughter of his oldest friend. Eyes the color of aquamarine stared back at him, eyes eerily similar to Katerina's. Set against pale skin and framed by dark, curling hair, the young woman before him was an almost perfect copy of her mother. Shaking off his melancholy thoughts, he raised to a sitting position._

_"My Lady-"_

_"Don't call me that." The toneless reply made him pause._

_Jacquimo raised his eyes, examining the girl before him. She continued to stare back, her expression guarded and cautious. But beneath that, he could see nothing. Nothing that gave away any essence of emotion or thought._

_The words escaped in a trembling whisper. "What have you done to yourself?"_

_Her expression didn't change, though her head moved in a miniscule tilt to the side. Her lack of reaction reinforced his belief that something had been done to her. Something magical in nature, if her command over the flora around them was any indication. _

_"You still have not explained yourself." She eyed the man before her quietly, her voice low and controlled. The stunned manner in which he gazed at her unnerved her in spite of the spell. "What are you doing _here_. On this night."  
><em>

_He tentatively raised himself to his feet. "The same as you, I would think. I was visiting your mother's grave, as I always do." He took a step towards her. "Forgive me, but I haven't seen you here before tonight."  
><em>

_"That's because this is the first night I've come."_

* * *

><p>Lily groaned when Henry nudged her with his storybook. Her sleep schedule, after several blissful, dreamless nights, had been rudely interrupted by memories that she would rather forget. With a sigh, she finally allowed her mind to wonder what Peter was doing... And why he'd never come for her.<p>

He could travel between the two realms easily with his Shadow, that much she knew. He'd never fully explained that ability, too wary of her repeated attempts to escape. It physically pained her to think that he'd left her here, alone and unwanted. Raising her fist, Lily bit down on her knuckles to muffle the aching agony trying to well inside her.

So lost in her thoughts, she didn't see Henry staring at her. When he left the table and sent Lily a worried look, she got up to follow. While dead on her feet, she knew Henry and Emma needed her help to find Ava and Nicholas' father.

"Any luck?" Henry asked as they entered Emma's office.

"No."

Henry placed his book on the desk, flipping until he landed on a page with Hansel and Gretel on it. "I know who they are. They're brother and sister, lost, no parents – Hansel and Gretel."

Emma peered at it. "Anything in there about the dad?"

"Just that he abandoned them."

"Great." Emma sighed deeply. "Sounds like a familiar story. Whoever this guy is, he could be in Laos by now."

"No, he's here." Lily offered calmly.

"Just how do you know that?"

"'Cause no one leaves Storybrooke." Henry explained for probably the fifth time. "No one comes here, no one goes. It's just the way it is."

Emma's eyebrow rose. "_I_ came here."

"Because you're special. You're the first stranger here – ever."

"He's right." Lily agreed at the sight of Emma's disbelief.

Sighing, the blonde Sheriff shook her head. "Right – I forgot. Well, if he's around here anywhere, I'm going to find him."

Lily felt Henry fidget and turned to look at him, unprepared as Emma was for what came out of his mouth.

"Can you tell me about him?"

"I don't know anything yet."

Henry shook his head. "Not their father – mine." Emma went stiff. "I told you about your parents and now, you're even living with your mom."

"Mary Margaret isn't… She's… Never mind."

Lily looked between them, torn between wanting Henry to know the truth and sheltering him from it. She'd learned very early on that truth, while nice in the long run, did nothing but hurt.

"Please?"

Henry's earnest plea broke down what little was left of Emma's defenses and she nodded hesitantly.

"I was pretty young." She began. "I'd just gotten out of the foster system and the only job I could get was at this twenty-four hour diner just off the interstate. And, um… Your dad was training to be a fireman." Lily frowned at the tone of Emma's voice but held her tongue. Especially when she saw Henry hanging off the blonde's every word. "He always got the worst shifts, so he'd come in and order coffee and pie and sit at the counter and always complain that we didn't sell pumpkin pie. But he always came back the next night anyway."

"Did you get married?" Henry asked, sounding rather excited by the prospect.

Emma rapidly shook her head. "Oh, no. Nothing like that. We just… We hung out a few times outside of work and…life happened." She muttered, looking down. "His got better and mine got worse and… I got into some trouble."

"And you went to jail."

Emma nodded stiffly. "Yeah. Before I went, I… I found out I was pregnant with you." She explained quickly. "And I tried to contact him, and I found out that he died saving a family from a burning apartment building. So, you think I'm a Savior, Henry – he was. Your father was a real hero."

"Do you have anything of his?" Henry asked, awe and pride shining from his gaze. "Something you can remember him by. Something I could see."

"I… I don't." Emma answered far too quickly for Lily's liking. "Henry, I'm sorry. I got to go. I may know how to find this guy."

As she left, Lily turned to followed her with her eyes. Frowning, she turned back to Henry and winced at the look on his face.

"My dad... Was a hero." He whispered softly, looking up to smile at Lily. "Did you hear that?"

Lily nodded, reaching out to hug him to her as he began to mutter excitedly. Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she prayed that she'd read Emma wrong and that the blonde had been telling the truth.

If not for herself, for Henry's sake.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure you don't mind?" Lily asked again, watching Mary Margaret's face.<p>

The dark-haired teacher shook her head with a smile. "Oh, no of course not." She turned to watch the three children over her shoulder. "It'll be nice for Henry to get some socialization." Turning back, she winced at the raised eyebrow Lily sent her. "Not that he doesn't get socialization with you but... I meant with kids his own age... Am I just digging myself a deeper hole?"

Smiling now, Lily shook her head quickly. "Nah, just getting rather flustered."

Quickly saying goodbye to the teacher, and throwing one to the three giggling children, Lily turned and left the apartment. Leaning back against the painted door, she held in the urge to slide down it and curl into a ball. The feel of her vibrating phone shook her out of her depressing thoughts and she frowned at the number displayed on the phone.

"Emma?"

"Hey, Lillian? D'you think you could meet me outside Gold's?"

The odd request had the teen stuttering out a 'yes' before she could really think it over. As the call ended, Lily frowned again at the phone before she headed out into the street and towards the pawn shop.

Emma met her halfway, looking more frazzled than she had at the station.

"So, what did you need?"

"Listen," the blonde began with an awkward sigh. "I know we haven't exactly gotten along since I've been here... But I need your help."

"My help?" Lily couldn't help repeating incredulously. "What could you possibly want from me?"

"Gold adopted you from out of state, right?" She waited for Lily to reluctantly nod. "So, you know how the system works."

"Emma, I was three when Gold adopted me-"

"Humor me." The blonde snapped over her. "Do you know why you were in foster care?" When Lily's face tightened, Emma sensed she was treading a very fine line.

Raising her eyes, Lily's stare burned into Emma's. "Long story short: Mum died, my brother blamed me, while dad drank himself to death."

The blonde nodded, not saying a word about the sad, yet typical story. "So, you know how much it sucks. Which is why we can't let it happen to Ava and Nicholas."

The emotion lurking behind the dark-haired teen's eyes made Emma wonder, and not for the first time, if there was any truth to Henry's stories. Lily certainly looked capable of ripping out a heart at the moment.

"Fine." The whisper came before Emma had a chance to say 'forget it'. Stunned, she looked to meet Lily's now blank gaze. "I'll help. Not sure what I can do, but I'll help."

With a small smirk, Emma held up the compass Ava had given her. "Know a Michael Tillman?"

"As a matter of fact, yes."

* * *

><p><em>"My Lad-" He bit his tongue when the girl went stiff again. "I mean, Lily-"<br>_

_"It's Lilith." She reminded him, her words terse yet still empty. _

_"Yes, of course." He coughed, gathering his thoughts so he didn't offend the sorceress in front of him further. "I must ask... Was someone here with you before my arrival?"_

_That made her pause and she turned her head slowly to meet his gaze. "What do you mean?"_

_"I could have sworn I saw someone in the mausoleum... And I noticed the doors seemed to open by themselves." He paused. "Unless you opened them... "_

_She shook her head. "No." Sparing a glance at said doors, her eyes narrowed imperceptibly. "I did nothing." She didn't add that she had felt... something. Or someone. She couldn't say for sure if it was a presence, though it had felt frighteningly familiar to her. Turning back to the fretting man, she finally asked, "What did my mother die from?"_

_As expected, her question made him go completely stiff. She fought the urge to torture the answer out of him, aware that it probably wouldn't work. From what she remembered, this man had been unwavering in his loyalty to her mother._

_"Y-your mother... Lady Katerina, had been sickly as a child-"_

_"Yet she still managed to live to the age of forty and had two once healthy children."_

_At that, a cold sweat broke out on his neck. Her slight jab at her sibling made him wonder if the rumors surrounding Darren's death were true. Many servants claimed that a young girl, the spitting image of Lady Katerina, had left the manor covered in blood the night of their Lord's death. Sensing asking such a question would be an immediate death sentence, he avoided speaking of it._

_"Why do assume I would know the answer?"_

_He watched in horror as the hue of her eyes changed. Where there was once bright, aquamarine, a deep red the color of blood replaced it. _

_"Because I would like to know if _I_ was the cause of it."_

* * *

><p>Lily watched in silence as Emma showed the mechanic the picture fo Ava and Nicholas. Having gone with Ruby several times to get her car fixed, the teen had thankfully remembered this particular man.<p>

Said man was currently shaking his head in disbelief. "Not possible."

"Actually, it is." Emma replied calmly, taking back the picture when he held it out.

"Well, I'm sorry, but Dory – she wasn't my, um… It was just once." He stumbled out, casting awkward glances at the teen behind the Sheriff.

Lily smirked at him. "Sometimes, that's all it takes."

"I met her when I was camping and we, um… No. It's not possible." He refused sternly. "I don't have twins."

Emma was now frowning at the man. To deny it from shock was one thing, but now he was just being stubborn. "Yes, you do. You have twins that have been homeless ever since their mother passed away. You have twins who have been living in an abandoned house because they don't want to be separated from each other."

"You have twins who are about to be shipped off to Boston and separated. Unless you step up and take responsibility for them." Lily added flatly. The pain coating her voice had Emma looking at her with new eyes.

Michael was shaking his head again. "Look – I can barely manage this garage. I can't manage two kids. And why are you so sure they're mine?"

"Besides the timing… " Emma pulled the compass out from her back pocket and raised it to the light. "Have you ever seen this?"

His eyes widened before he reached towards the compass. "I lost this."

"Let me guess – twelve years and nine months ago?"

Lily earned a stern look from Emma for that comment. Ignoring her, Lily focused on the flustered looking man, forcing Emma to follow suit.

"I know it's a lot – believe me, I know. A month ago, a kid showed up on my doorstep – I gave up for adoption – asking for help with…something. And I ended up moving here for him."

Michael nodded. "I heard about that – it's the Mayor's son. But staying in town is… It's a lot different than taking him in."

"I don't have my kid because I don't have a choice. You do Those kids-"

"Those kids didn't ask to be brought into this world - Didn't ask for _you _and their mother to bring them into this world." Lily began, eyes shining in the dim light. "But they need you. They need their dad the same way they needed their mother. If you choose not to take them, then you're going to have to answer for that every day of your life." With that, she slipped off the hood of the car and stomped from the garage, ignoring Emma's pleading calls.

Frowning, the blonde turned back to the shell-shocked man before her and lowered her voice. "And sooner or later, when they find you – because believe me, they will find you – you're going to have to answer to them."

"I'm really sorry. I am." He repeated when Emma leveled him with a flat stare. "I don't know anything about being a dad. If it's a good home you're looking for, it's not with me."

* * *

><p><em>"Here, love." Peter dropped the blanket over Lilith's shoulders, watching as she stiffened. "Why do you do that?"<br>_

_"Do what?" She shot back flatly, her voice no higher than a hiss._

_"Cringe away whenever I try to help?"_

_The genuine curiosity in his voice made the scathing retort on her tongue pause. Turning to look at him over her shoulder, she froze when his green eyes seared into her own. With a sigh, she shifted on the ledge, giving him room to sit next to her._

_"I haven't had a family in eight years." She whispered softly, keeping a tight grip on the emotions threatening to spill forth. "Even without the spell... It's hard to get past that kind of behavior for that many years."_

_"Well," his whisper stirred the hair resting against her cheek. He raised a hand, brushing the dark tresses away from her cheek before he ran his hand down the softness of her skin. "Maybe... We can be your new family."_

* * *

><p>Despite the cheery nature surrounding here, Lily continued to look down at the wood under her arms. Mary Margaret, brushed a hand over her shoulder, frowning when the normally snarky teen didn't react. Sharing a worried look with Henry, the teacher focused on Ava and Nicholas as Henry tried to reach out to his babysitter.<p>

"Lillian?" His whisper barely triggered a reaction.

Ava and Nicholas watched the older girl silently, recognizing the look in her eye. Without a word, the eldest of the duo reached out and placed a hand on Lily's arm.

"Hey," the blonde-haired girl whispered softly with a small smile. "It's gonna be okay."

Lily blinked at her for several seconds before she nodded once and covered Ava's hand with one of her own. "Thank you."

With another smile, Ava pulled her hand away as the three children went back to baking. Lily observed, halfheartedly helping as she tried to push away the gnawing darkness inside her.

_Depression_. Such a pretty word. Archie's diagnosis of her... Problem, was just that. He attributed it to her previous home life, even though she'd been three at the time of her 'adoption'. Granted, he didn't know the whole story, as Jiminy or Archie, and she planned to keep it that way.

Henry, bless the little boy, was able to involve Lily in the next few minutes of baking until the phone shattered the serene moment. Lily looked up and watched as Mary Margaret's face paled. As she hung up and stuttered out for Lily to watch the still giggling children, the teen frowned inwardly.

When Mary Margaret came back to the apartment, this time with Emma and Regina in tow, Lily shook her head morosely. As predicted, Regina was all too smug to enforce Emma's less than enjoyable 'duties'. As the blonde sheriff lead the children to the car, Lily held Henry as they stood near Regina to watch.

"Let's go, Henry." The Mayor ordered once she was satisfied that Ava and Nicholas were in the car.

Shaking free of Lily's grip, Henry raced towards Emma.

"No, you can't take them!" He cried at Emma, who frowned at him from her window. "They can't leave Storybrooke, Emma! They can't."

"Lillian, go fetch him, will you?" Regina requested quietly, something Lily couldn't deny.

"Something bad will happen." Henry finished as Lily reached his side. The teen nodded when Emma glanced at her, making her frown deepen.

"Something bad has already happened." Emma remarked flatly before she pulled away from the curb, leaving Lily and Henry to watch after her.

* * *

><p>"Hey, there she is." Lily nudged Henry, pointing towards Emma's car.<p>

Henry sped up, clutching the box of pumpkin pie from Granny's. Lily followed at a more sedate pace, silently thanking whatever deity there was that Emma had managed to keep Ava and Nicholas in Storybrooke. From what Gold had shared with her, the more happy endings Emma fixed, the weaker the Curse became. With a sardonic laugh, Lily had commented that she wasn't going to hold out on her own happy ending.

"And why is that?" He'd asked curiously.

"Villains don't get happy endings, remember?"

The sound of an engine made Lily's attention snap to the road. Stepping forward, she wrapped an arm around Henry as a motorcycle rounded the corner and headed towards them. Emma stood, lacing herself in front of the two as the vehicle parked across the street from them.

Lily eyed the large, wooden box on the back of the motorcycle before the man took off his helmet and walked to them.

"Hi." He greeted cheerily, seemingly oblivious to their wary stares.

"Hey." Emma greeted after their other two made no indication of responding.

"Is this Storybrooke?"

It was Lily's turn to answer. "Yeah."

He smiled. "Any place to get a room around here?"

"Uh, you're staying?" Henry asked, looking up to share a look with Lily.

"That's the plan. Just looking for a bed."

Emma pointed down the street. "Granny's Bed and Breakfast is just up the road – another two blocks."

"Thank you." He nodded and sent them another smile. Turning around, he walked back to his motorcycle and got on.

"Hey," Emma called, making him pause. "I didn't catch your name."

He smiled back. "Well, that's because I didn't give it." With that, he drove off as Lily, Henry and Emma stared after him in shock.

"I thought you said strangers don't come to Storybrooke?" Emma asked slowly, still staring after the man.

Henry and Lily shared another look.

"They don't."

* * *

><p><strong>Thoughts? Comments? Questions?<br>**


	10. 7:15 AM

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot and any unrecognizable characters and dialogue.**

**So, again it's a really short chapter, which I apologize for. Anyway, hope you like it!**

* * *

><p>"Are you sure you're awake enough to walk him to school?" Regina fretted as she and Lily descended the stairs.<p>

Once again, the dark-haired teen looked like she'd been hit by a truck. While Regina knew that _Lillian_ had problems when she'd casted the Curse, it was obvious Emma Swan's presence was hitting the teen hard. She'd looked worst these past few weeks than she had the past twenty-eight years.

"I'm fine, Regina." Lily assured her, holding back the contradicting yawn. Sending the unconvinced mother a strained smile, she tried again. "Ruby gave me so much coffee my heart might be vibrating."

"Oh, so I only have to worry about you passing out from heart failure. _That's_ comforting." Regina snarked as Lily opened the door.

Both fell deathly silent at the sight of Henry talking to the strange man on the motorcycle. Without waiting for Regina to react, Lily stepped out fo the house.

"Henry!" Covering the distance in long strides, Lily caught the tail end of the conversation.

"Looks like a storm's coming." The man offered before he put on his helmet. He eyed the dark-haired teen behind Henry before he drove off. It looked like Regina had drastically altered the Dark Lilith.

As Lily wrapped an arm around Henry, Regina caught up to them.

"Henry, who was that?"

He shrugged, leaving all three to stare after the stranger in different stages of bemusement.

"Come on," Lily urged after several heartbeats of silence. "We gotta get you to school before it storms."

"Oh, that reminds me." Regina called after them as the duo began to walk away. "Lillian, I need you to be ready to get Henry from school at a moment's notice!"

Lily waved a hand to acknowledge the mayor. "Got it!"

"Do you know who he is?" Henry asked once they were far enough away from his mother. "That man?"

"No, I have no idea." Lily assured him, wincing when the wind picked up. "I remember everyone else... Well, mostly." She amended at his incredulously look. "A couple of people are still fuzzy, but I have no recollection of him."

Henry fell silent, a thoughtful expression on his face. The idea that someone else could come into Storybrooke was terrifying and exciting all at once. It could mean the Curse was weakening.

With a wide smile up at his miserable babysitter, Henry raced off into the school as another violent gust of wind kicked up. Tugging the collar of her coat higher up her neck, Lily turned with a sigh. Getting any kind of sleep seemed like it was out of her visible future.

Sleep seemed like a safe option to most people, though most people weren't tormented nightly. While she knew that Peter wasn't actually in her dreams, hearing his voice... touching him... Was all like acid being sprayed against her skin when she woke up. Pain entered her heart again, making her wish for the ignorance she'd had while Cursed.

_Then again, ignorance is bliss._ She forced herself to smile at Ruby when she entered the diner, making a beeline for Emma and Mary Margaret.

"Love's the worst. I wish there was a magical cure."

* * *

><p><em>"So, who is he?" Snow asked, delighting when Lilith uncharacteristically stumbled. To be fair, they <em>were_ wearing dresses, something the sorceress despised quite loudly. In preparation for the wedding and subsequent ball afterwards, Snow had insisted on etiquette lessons for several of her guests. Though, she'd found out quite soon that Lilith knew her way around a dinner table and dance floor.  
><em>

_Wide-eyed, the dark-haired teen blinked at the princess. "Who is who?"_

_"The man making you sigh so much." Snow frowned when all the blood proceeded to drain out of Lilith's face. "Lilith, if this is too-"_

_"No. No, i-it's okay." She promised, looking down at the lace overlay that covered her skirt. "I... You know that I went missing for a while, right?"_

_Snow nodded. The entire realm had known that, since Rumpelstiltskin had nearly ripped the land apart searching for his student._

_"I recall that, yes." Lilith winced at the sarcasm laden tone._

_"Yes, well, bypassing Rumple's... Ahem, dedication, I was somewhere where I met... Someone." Aware that her face was on fire, Lilith looked down. Thick, dark waves of hair covered her flushed cheeks as Snow's smile warmed._

_"What was he like? What did he do?" She fired off rapidly, instantly curious to know about the elusive girl in front of her. Gripping Lilith's arm, she led them over to a nearby bench. Once seated, the sorceress began to speak in halting words._

_"He... He was the leader of a group on an island. A group of orphans." Lilith stuttered out, not sure how well Peter Pan would be received by these people. "He helped take care of them."_

_"Well," Snow looked to the entrance of the ballroom and smiled when Charming walked in. "He sounds like a rather charitable soul." With that, the princess flounced off to her fiancé._

_Lilith couldn't hold back the fond smile that rose to her lips at Snow's terminology._

_"You don't know the half of it."_

* * *

><p>"Hey, where are you going?" Lily asked when Henry tried to lead them away from town.<p>

"To the castle... Why?" He punctuated his response with a tilt of his head. "What is it?"

Lily raised a hand towards the rapidly greying sky. "Umm... The storm?" She asked, eyebrow raised. "Your mother, both of them actually, pretty much threatened to skin me if I didn't get you home after school."

On cue, Henry's lips twisted into a pout. Unswayed by his pleading expression, Lily wrapped an arm around his shoulders and steered him towards his house.

"Come on, we'll make hot cocoa."

"Will you stay again tonight?"

At his hopeful, pleading expression, Lily found herself nodding. The fact that she was unable to deny Henry anything was a phenomenon she'd only encountered once before. After dropping him off at his house, she quickly headed towards Granny's to pack an overnight bag.

The sight of Emma and Regina chatting on the street gave her pause. Eyebrow now in danger of disappearing in her hairline, Lily stalked towards the two women.

Regina noticed her first. "Ah, Lillian. Please, tell Sheriff Swan about what we saw this morning in front of my house."

Staring at Regina like she'd lost her marbles, Lily blinked when she realized what the expectant woman meant. "Oh! You mean motorcycle, leather guy." At their matching incredulous looks, she sighed. "The guy that drove into town last night on the motorcycle."

"The one I directed towards Granny's?" Emma asked, leaning over the trunk of her car. "What's the big deal, who is he?" She directed the question at both of them, though only Regina responded verbally.

"I don't know. I asked around, but no one seems to know anything." The mayor looked down with a frown. "There's something about him. Something familiar."

"He must be one of the untold millions you cursed." Emma offered dryly.

"What?" Regina demanded in surprise.

"Oh, you know. The curse." Emma wilted slightly underneath the dark-haired woman's stare. "Henry's whole thing."

"Sheriff, I need you to find out who he is, what he wants and what he's doing here."

"You know, as hard as you tried to find one in my case, there is no law against visiting Storybrooke." Emma pointed out.

"This isn't about the law, Miss Swan. You're going to do this because I asked you to. And because you'll see it's the right thing to do."

"And why is that?"

"Because, when he was in front of Regina's house, he was taking a particular interest in the one thing you both care about – Henry." Lily stated calmly, watching as Emma's eyes widened.

"I'll look into him."

* * *

><p><em>Lilith groaned when the sound of crying continued. The constant cheering and whooping she could deal with; It happened every night. Crying, however, was rarely heard and it was annoying her.<em>

_Sitting up in her hammock, she whisked herself down onto the campsite. The sight of dancing, playing boys was normal and she looked around. A smaller boy, surrounded by several others, was the source of the crying._

_Ignoring Pan's eyes that had become centered on her the moment she entered the campsite, she stalked forward._

_"Any reason he's crying his eyes out?" She asked, arms crossed as they all turned to her._

_"Well... " The closest boy drawled out, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "We were playing knives and... Well... " He stepped aside, allowing her to see the little boy cradling his nearly severed fingers._

_With a sigh, she stepped into the circle, which parted, and dropped to her knees. "Give it here."_

_Wide, teary eyes looked up at her. "I-it hurts!" He wailed, making her hiss in annoyance._

_"Of course it does." She snapped flatly. "Your fingers are practically hacked off." She offered her hand again. "Come here."_

_The boy did as asked, placing his bleeding hand in her own. She raised her other, already glowing hand when his request stopped her dead._

_"W-will you sing to me?"_

_"Will I _what_?" She hissed out._

_"S-sing... My mama used to, when I was hurt... Before she died..." He trailed off, watching as Tiger Lily's eyes glazed over slightly._

_Shaking to rid herself of the unwanted memories, she refocused on the still crying boy. With a gentleness that surprised everyone, including herself, she began to hum softly.  
><em>

_Her hand began to glow gold again as she placed it over his. Continuing to hum, she raised her eyes and smiled at the stunned boy.  
><em>

_The low, hushed song barely carried past the circle, but one boy heard it perfectly. Peter stared at her from his stump, eyes wide in surprise. Standing to his feet, he made it to the group in time to see Lilith finish healing the lost boy's fingers before she stood._

_Suddenly conscious of all the eyes, Lilith raised her hood and turned. She went still at the sight of Peter before her and raised her wide eyes to meet his pleased gaze. He raised his hand and cradled her pale cheek._

_Before he could get a word out, she waved her hands, taking herself back to her tree house. Peter stared at his hand before he flexed it and turned to look up at the tree house she'd hidden in for the night._

_"All in good time, love."_

* * *

><p>"So, why did the fairies take Maia?" Henry asked as he wandered over to Lily. The teen was curled underneath the pied cloak and greedily reached for the hot cocoa he carried.<p>

"Please don't spill that on the couches!" Regina called from the kitchen, smiling when she received a chorus of 'no promises' from the two.

"Well... She had a magical gift." Lily offered quietly, cradling the heated cup between her fingers. "She could heal people. Sadly, it brought attention that she'd rather have not had. The fairy that kidnapped her - The male one, his 'mother' was the Black fairy." At Henry's blank look, she sighed. "The Black Fairy was the darkest of all fairies - rather powerful too. The Blue Fairy exiled her a long time ago and took her wand. Now, before that happened, she managed to do something once thought impossible - create a male fairy."

"Why isn't he mentioned in the book?" He asked curiously, having seen no mention of this creature before.

"Because he wasn't around long enough for everyone to notice." Henry blinked in confusion at her ominous tone. "Soon after Maia escaped, the Blue fairy finally decided to intervene. It was then that she destroyed the male fairy and exiled the Black fairy - but not before he was able to curse Maia for her 'betrayal'."

"He cursed her? How?"

"He made it so she... Let's just say that it's a rather unpleasant way to die." Lily evaded the question, well aware that Henry's outlook on magic was rather bright. The darker aspect of magic that she was intimately familiar with was what she wanted to keep him far away from. The spell used on her mother had ended up rotting her from the inside out, playing on the macabre side of fairy magic.

The reminder of who had told her this piece of info sent another spasm of pain through her chest. When Peter had revealed to her all he knew, she hadn't reacted well to the knowledge. Resisting the urge to clutch at the bleeding, pulsing organ, Lily instead tried to refocus on Henry.

"Okay... But, what does this have to do with your mother?" He finally asked, hoping she wouldn't close herself off again.

"She... She knew Maia." Lily whispered, her grip on the cloak tightening. "They were... Close... A long time ago."

* * *

><p><em>"How does a spring wedding sound, dearest?"<br>_

_Katerina looked up, keeping her face free of any emotion. "That sounds wonderful, Cornelius." The male fairy smiled, sending a shiver of disgust through her. It took all of her will to hold her composure, to not give him any inkling that she was unhappy. Being hit enough times told her that he was mercurial in his mood swings and it was best to keep him happy._

_With a happy sigh, the male fairy drew her pliable body into his embrace. Unaware of her true feelings, he kissed her quickly before flitting off and leaving her alone. The moment he was gone, she frantically wiped at her lips as a scream issued from her throat. So lost in herself, she failed to notice when the other woman entered the small room._

_"You'll have to watch that, my dear." The Black Fairy advised as she walked forward, though to Katerina it looked more like gliding. "Even here, even when it's just us."_

_"Then help me." Katerina begged, though not for the first time._

_As always, the Black Fairy denied her. "He is my child - the only one I shall ever have. He is my greatest creation and I shall deny him nothing... Even a mortal bride." She eyed the teenager critically. "Though my son has been searching for ways to transform you into one of us."_

_"I will _never_ be one of you!" Katerina swore angrily, bring her silk-clad arms down in an angry slash. "You and your... Son! Are _monsters_!"_

_"And did people not say the same as you?" The Black fairy asked quietly, watching as the fourteen-year old in front of her stiffened. "Did they not claim the girl - one that could anyone with a single touch - was a freak of nature as well?"_

_Katerina remained silent. Only the pain and hate glinting in her eyes gave away her feelings on the matter. The luminous, aquamarine hue that had helped ensnare her son now made the Black Fairy smile in amusement. _

_"As I've said before, little flower," she reached forward, lightly gripping Katerina's chin in a steel-like grip. "You _will_ belong here, whether you like it or not."_

* * *

><p>"Henry, do you know if Lillian is feeling alright?" Regina asked curiously as the teen walked away from their house. After staying the night, the teen had begged for the morning off to attempt to get some sleep. "She hasn't been getting enough rest lately."<p>

"It's just... Stress!" At his mother's disbelieving look, Henry began to not rapidly. "Yeah! Gold's giving her more responsibility at the shop and she's worried she won't do it like he wants!"

Regina hummed in agreement, watching the hunched over shoulders of the girl suspiciously. The last thing she needed was an awake Lilith, especially since the Savior was in town.

Lily shivered, unaware of the path Regina's thoughts had taken. Despite the time she'd spent sleeping the night before, she felt like she'd laid awake the whole time. Making her way to Granny's she sighed with relief once she was in the warm diner.

"Lillian!" Ruby darted around the counter and nearly pounced on her sleep-deprived friend. "Where the heck have you been?!"

Smothering a rather large yawn, Lily sent her friend a resigned smile. "I'm almost positive I texted you that I'd be at Henry's."

Rolling her eyes, Ruby led the dark-haired girl to the bar before pouring her a large mug of coffee. As they made small talk about the storm and the damage it caused, Lily looked up when David entered the diner.

"Hey, Lillian." She greeted with a smile, earning a small on in return. "How are you?" Mary Margaret asked as Ruby handed her her coffee.

"Uh, tired. Would be the best description," she got out before the bell rang again. Lily glanced around Mary Margaret to see a flustered David at the door. "Hey, David." She called, watching the expressions flash across Mary Margaret's face before she turned.

The man immediately turned and left the diner, Mary Margaret hot on his heels. Lily turned to Ruby, silently raising an eyebrow as she awaited an explanation.

"Oh, Mary Margaret's been coming in here every morning at 7:15 to see David... And he's been doing the same to see her." The waitress offered airily, examining her nails idly. "Honestly, it was cute at first, now it's a little sad."

"It's 7:45 though." Lily pointed out, turning to catch a glimpse of the couple from her seat.

"Again, it's a little sad."

Nodding distractedly, Lily stood and left the diner, freezing when she caught sight of the passionate embrace in the middle of the street. That, however, wasn't what made her blood run cold.

The sight of Regina's face across the street was enough to make even Lily cringe in fear.

* * *

><p><strong>Thoughts? Comments? Questions?<br>**


	11. Fruit of the Poisonous Tree

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot and any unrecognizable characters and dialogue.**

**So, some answers to questions in the reviews:**

**To Bookworm2the2ndPower. That was just me being a twit and not noticing which words I was using. Lilith is currently Rumpelstiltskin's assistant. Thanks for pointing that out! And yes, in the original I had Rumple never forget and he return Lily's memories eight years before Emma arrived. However, the creators of the show said that Rumple didn't remember until he heard Emma's name - hence why he wanted to know her name so badly before the Curse hit. Hope that clears some stuff up!**

**And yes, Maia and Katerina are the same person! Some of you have already guessed what fairy tale character she is.**

**Anyway, thank you all for the reviews, faves and follows! Hope you like this chapter!**

* * *

><p>"Hey, kid." Emma greeted as Henry rode past her own his bike. When he bypassed her completely, the blonde blinked in bemusement. "Nice to see you, too." She glanced up when Lily walked towards her, lips twisted up in a wry smile. "What's with him?"<p>

"Other than his castle being wrecked?" The teen snarked as she walked past Emma. At that remark, the blonde shrugged before she followed the two towards the playground.

"The storm!" Henry shouted, jumping off his bike before he ran towards the splintered wood.

Emma rushed after him, clearly wary of letting him go near the wood. "It's okay – we can fix it. I'll talk to Marco." She tried, only for Henry to ignore his words.

Lily, suddenly realizing what Henry was going for, brushed past Emma. When the little boy fell to his knees on the sand, the teen followed suit.

"Do you think it's still here?" Henry fretted before beginning to dig at the sand near the base of the castle. Lily didn't answer, helping him dig through the damp sand.

Emma came up behind them, peering curiously. "What are you looking for?"

"My book."

"Why'd you bury it here?"

Lily turned to glare at her with a huff. "So his mom doesn't find it."

"Hiding it under your mattress wasn't good enough?" Emma deadpanned, her eyebrow raised.

Lily tugged the red, metal box from its hole and dusted the sand of it. Henry reached for it, unlocking it as he turned to his bemused mother.

"That's the first place the Evil Queen would look." He told her shortly.

Emma's eyebrow rose higher. "How about leaving it with me?"

"That's the second place." Lily snapped as Henry opened the box, revealing his storybook.

"It's still here." He slumped with relief. "Good."

Behind them, Emma frowned curiously. "So, your mom doesn't know about the castle?" She clarified, earning a nod from the both fo them.

"No." Henry sent her a smile over his shoulder as Lily took back the box. "This is our secret."

Emma blinked down at him in shook as Lily shut the box and began to rebury it. As she finished covering it with sand, the sound of a car braking made her turn.

"Henry!" Regina called as she exited her car and stalked across the sand. "Henry! I've been looking everywhere for you. You know you have a session with Archie this morning." She scolded as Lily stood and brushed off her pants. "I should've known he was with you." Regina snapped at Emma before turning her attention back to her son. "Henry – car. Now."

Squeezing Lily's hand once, Henry raced off towards the car. After she'd made sure he was safely in the vehicle, Regina turned back to Emma.

"You let him play here?" She spat accusingly.

Emma bristled in response. "The storm hit it hard, but we can fix it."

"Well, can you fix a cracked cranium?" Regina asked flatly." Because that's what you'll have on your hands if one of these boards collapses under his weight. You're not thinking about Henry or his safety. Just ways around me." She ignored Emma's indignant look. "Miss Swan, don't let your feelings cloud your judgment. People can get hurt."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Emma said quietly, glaring at Regina through narrowed eyes.

"You're the Sheriff now – it's time to be responsible." She shot back. Turning her attention to Lily for the first time, she added, "Lillian, I expect you to pick him up after his session."

Without giving either woman time to respond, Regina spun around and stalked to her car. As they watched her speed away from the playground, Lily sighed.

"Well, at least she wasn't pissed off at me." She remarked, smirking when Emma pinned her with a glare.

Sighing at the teen's answering smirk, Emma began to walk towards her own car.

"Come on, we're gonna be late for breakfast with Mary Margaret if we don't hurry."

* * *

><p><em>"Wh- Who told you that?" Jacquimo questioned in shock.<em>

_Lilith didn't reply at first, instead choosing to turn back towards the mausoleum. Carefully, she raised a hand and ran it over the doorway of the stone building. Frowning, she focused as her scanning revealed nothing amiss with the wards she'd placed on the site._

_Turning back to the man, her features smoothed. "Well, since my brother screamed it while he hit me, I must have gotten the idea from him."_

_The rage in her eyes told him all he needed to know about the rumors surrounding her brother's death. It became startlingly obvious that Lilith had indeed murdered her own brother. However, he was having trouble separating the calm, collected young woman in front of him from the little, happy girl he'd bring flowers to._

_"I... I see." Was all he could muster, especially with her flat stare focused on him. "And... What exactly is it that Darren said?"_

_"That I caused her illness when she had me. That I never should have been born." Her voice hardened. "Need I go on?"_

_He winced. "No, no that is quite enough."_

_"What happened to my mother?"_

_"Your mother... She was special. She had a... A gift that attracted the wrong sort of attention." Jacquimo began, attempting to hold the stern gaze of the person before him. "She was kidnapped for a short time... I-I helped her to escape."_

_The sound of footsteps made him pause in his story. Both turned to see a cloaked figure entering the graveyard. Sensing the man's fear, Lilith stood and stepped towards the figure._

_"What is it, Rumple?" She called quietly, smirking when Jacquimo's fear increased. "I'm not late, am I?"_

_"Ooh, you're pushing it, dearie." Her mentor teased, pulling down his hood before he glanced behind her. "Making new friends, are you Lilith?"_

_"Dark One." Jacquimo stood and inclined his head, hoping the being before him wouldn't reveal anything to the girl before she was ready. _

_"Oho!" Rumpelstiltskin crooned, dancing closer to the uncomfortable looking man. "If it isn't the wayward sparrow."_

_Lilith raised an eyebrow at the term, though refrained from asking. Turning to the man behind her, she watched as Jacquimo rapidly paled. Frowning, she turned back to her mentor._

_"What is it you know that I do not?" Her tone remained controlled, though Rumple could sense the undertone of annoyance in her voice._

_"Oh, nothing." Rumpelstiltskin trilled before he lightly danced towards an uncomfortable Jacquimo. "Just a reunion between old friends."_

* * *

><p>"Don't let my feelings cloud my judgment?" Emma continued to rant as Mary Margaret and Lily watched her. "That's all Regina ever does."<p>

"Well, she's just upset because you and Henry have a special place and she… She doesn't. Even Lillian and Henry have one." Mary Margaret tried, wincing when Emma didn't look appeased.

"What, where?" The blonde asked, looking between her dark-haired companions.

"It's near the beach... we both like to look out at the water." Lily replied softly, her fist clenching underneath the table.

Emma nodded before she switched the conversation back to its original topic. "How'd she find out about the castle in the first place?" The blonde asked, turning an accusing eye on Lily, who bristled in response.

"Please, if I told her Henry's secrets I wouldn't have lasted very long as his babysitter." At Emma's surprised look, she elaborated. "I'm only his babysitter _because_ Henry wants me to be."

"Also," Mary Margaret interjected before a the brewing fight could start. "She knows everything about this town – she's the Mayor."

At that, a vibrate came from Mary Margaret's phone. She glanced down, frowning when she caught sight of David's message.

"Everything okay?"

Startled, Mary Margaret raised her eyes to meet Emma and Lily's concerned gazes. Attempting to keep any guilt off her face, she nodded.

"Yeah, I just need to go." She stood, reaching for her coat as she placed money on the table. "Look, if it makes you feel any better, I think you're right. I see the effect she has on Henry."

"I wish everyone else did, too." Emma whispered as Mary Margaret left them. She turned towards the teen, who was staring after their departing friend with a frown. "You see it, right?" When she received no response, she lightly tapped Lily's arm. "Hey!"

Lily jerked. "What?!" Meeting Emma's amused gaze, she colored slightly. "Sorry, what was the question?"

"You see what Regina does to Henry, right?"

Lily nodded, frown back in place. "Of course I do. I've been his babysitter almost his entire life."

At that, Emma frowned. Lillian was only seventeen and Henry was ten. How could she have been his babysitter at the age of seven? She was brought out of her musings when an inebriated Sidney plopped down in Mary Margaret's empty seat.

"I can grant your wish" He promised, practically stinking of whiskey.

Lily sneered, her nose wrinkling with disgust. "And, just like that, I've lost my appetite." Sending Emma an apologetic smile, she tossed money onto the counter before leaving the diner.

Pulling on her coat as she headed towards the pawn shop, she stopped dead when the back of her neck began to prickle. Alert now, she turned and examined the mostly empty street as the feeling worsened. Closing her eyes, she exhaled deeply and stiffened when a brush against her cheek sent tingles down her spine.

"_Open your eyes, love_."

* * *

><p><em>"Friends?" Lilith repeated in quiet disbelief. "This man - who knew my mother - is friends with <em>you_?" Despite her words, her tone lacked little, if any, disbelief._

_This worried Jacquimo while it delighted Rumpelstiltskin. His apprentice had turned out to be a rare find, what with the magic she casted on herself._

_"Well... I do suppose 'friends' is a rather strong word." He admitted, delighting in Jacquimo's behavior. "He came to me... For help."_

_"Yes," Jacquimo agreed, eying the Dark One cautiously. "Help."_

_Lilith eyed them, her expression never changing even before she turned away. Disinterest was usual for her, especially when faced with her mentor's attempts to divert her attention elsewhere._

_"I believe we have an engagement to attend, Rumple?" Once again, Jacquimo held back a shiver at the almost deadened tone in Lilith's voice._

_"Ah, yes. We do." Bowing mockingly to the other man, Rumple danced towards his assistant and offered him arm. "Lovely to see you again, dearie!" He winked at the ashen faced man. "Don't be a stranger."_

_With that, the two disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving the distraught man standing in the dark._

* * *

><p>As they approached the castle, Lily went still at the sound of machinery. Craning her head up to try and see the source of the noise, her face suddenly paled.<p>

"Henry."

With that, the little boy left her side at a sprint. Cursing loudly, Lily pulled out her phone and dialed Emma's number. After telling the woman to get her ass to Henry's castle, she pocketed the phone and ran after him.

She reached his side, panting slightly and winced at the sight before her. As the machines continued to tear down the castle, Lily wrapped her arms around Henry tightly. Swallowing thickly, she settled for glaring at Regina's back hatefully until Emma showed up.

"Hey, what happened?" The blonde panted as she rushed to them. "I came as soon as I could."

Henry raised his hurt-filled eyes from Lily's side. "The castle! She's tearing the whole thing down! My book! It-it's gone."

Anger flashed across Emma's face before she turned it towards Regina. Stalking from them, she confronted the smug looking woman.

"Congratulations, Madam Mayor." She mocked angrily. "You destroyed the thing he loves."

Regina simply smiled serenely. "A dangerous thing that can only hurt Henry and others. You see me as a villain, Miss Swan, but that's just your perception and you're wrong." She leaned forward threateningly. "Learn your place in this town or, soon enough, you won't be in it."

She walked away, leaving Emma to glare angrily at her back. Decision made, Emma reached into her pocket and pulled out the business card Sidney had given her. Turning back to glance at Henry's distraught face, she quickly dialed the number.

"Sidney? Hi. I'm in. I want everyone to know who she really is."

* * *

><p><em>"Where did you hear that song from?"<em>

_Lilith's hand froze, her humming coming to a dead halt. Turning her head, she looked up to meet Peter's emotionless face with her own._

_"What does it matter?"_

_Incensed with her lack of response, he stepped forward and reached for her. Seconds before his fingers could grasp her cloak, she was across the clearing. Bright red eyes met his across the distance and he sighed, the anger leaving his body._

_"Let's just say... I recognize it." He offered, smirking inwardly when the red faded from her eyes. Her eyes continued to stare into his, giving him the opportunity to study them. So like her mother's, yet where Katerina's had been simply blue, Lilith's were a myriad of golds, greens and blues. _And red_, he thought with a chuckle. _But only when she was angry_._

_"Care to share what you find so funny?" The cautious, controlled whisper made his attention snap away from the vibrancy of her eyes. _

_"Oh, just thinking, love." He took a step forward._

_She countered it with an immediate step back. "Don't call me that."_

_"Well, why not?" Undeterred, he continued to step towards her. Before, when she would have tired of this after the first sentence, she'd whisk herself to some other part of the island. Her lack of disappearing told him that, whatever she claimed, he'd made strides in gaining her trust. 'After all, I've called you that before."_

_She went stiff at the reminder of their shared past. Getting her to remember what Rumple had taken away hadn't been pleasant for both of them. However, it had helped. He'd catch her giving him unsure, lingering stares when she thought he wasn't paying attention._

_Lilith watched him, frowning when the crease on his forehead smoothed. The look on his face made her tense. The predatory, almost hungry way he looked at her sent shivers down her spine. Shivers she couldn't claim were from disgust, which mildly terrified her. _

_"Calling me that in my dreams doesn't count." As always, her tone was cold and void of emotion. "And I know you didn't call me that when I was a child."_

_He surprised her by agreeing. "True, but you must admit our relationship is anything but-"_

_"We have no relationship."_

_He was suddenly in front of her with a small smirk on his face. "Oh, I beg to differ, love." He whispered hotly, leaning so close that his breath lightly fanned against her cheeks. "I know you feel it when I do this."_

_Before she could push him away, his lips brushed against her forehead in a gentle, simple caress. Raising her hand to shove him, he darted away before her fingers even touched his chest._

_"Something to chew on, love." He disappeared, leaving her alone in the small clearing._

_She hissed out in annoyance, pushing down the doubt that was beginning to rise in her heart. Jerking her head down, she inhaled deeply as she forced down the feelings rising up inside her. Contrary to what most believed, she had feelings. She felt emotions. She was just good at hiding it.  
><em>

_Losing your humanity would do that to you._

* * *

><p>Lily walked out from behidn the tree as Emma and Sidney rushed away. She waited several heartbeats before speaking to her amused looking boss.<p>

"So, how'd it go?"

A smirk formed on Gold's lips as they both stared after the two.

"I think they took it... rather well."

Both smirking now, they shared a look before they turned their attention back to Emma and Sidney.

"How long do you think it'll take her to figure out Sidney's true allegiances?" She questioned softly.

He let out a quick puff of air. "Hmm, depends on how well he can... _reflect_, Miss Swan's intentions."

That made her turn a shrewd eye toward him. He caught her expression, smirk still in place.

"You're enjoying this a little too much, aren't you?"

"Perhaps, just a little."

* * *

><p>"Go and grab a seat." Lily told Henry with a smile. "I'll get the cocoa." After shooing him to the counter, she ordered the drinks from Ruby.<p>

"You seem to be in a good mood." The older woman remarked with a teasing smile. "New boy?"

Lily let out a chuckle as she took the cups. "Since when was there an old boy?"

"Touche." Ruby shot back with a smirk before she waltzed away.

Shaking her head, Lily turned around and stop dead. The motorcycles guy was seated next to Henry, who was furiously scribbling onto a piece of paper. Frowning now, Lily stalked towards them and slammed the cups down with as little force as possible.

Henry didn't react. August, however, looked up at the noise and the blood drained from his face. As a child, he'd been told all about the deeds of the Dark Lilith - he'd then spent time around her before the Curse. The teen before him looked just like he'd remembered, though her personality seemed rather different.

"May I ask what you're doing?" Lily hissed out through clenched teeth.

_Then again, maybe she's not so different_. August thought with a wince. Shaking away his slight terror at the sight of the teen, he smiled.

"Just comparing book ideas." He tried, watching as Henry slowed down his writing.

"They're not my ideas." The boy defended quietly with a frown. "They're stories from a book that I lost."

August took the opening, mindful of Lily's searching gaze. "Must be a hell of a book. What's it about?"

"Stuff."

"Sounds exciting."

Lily leaned against the counter with a dark frown. "You seem awfully interested in him and his book."

"No, I'm just being neighborly." August replied smoothly.

Henry jumped in. "What are you doing in Storybrooke?"

"I'm a writer."

"You can write anywhere." Henry pressed. "What are you really doing here?"

August smirked slightly. "Stuff." He stood and nodded at the two. "Good luck with the stories."

Lily stared after him, her eyes narrowed in suspicion as the leather-clad man exited the diner. Shaking her head, she turned back to Henry who was still looking towards the door. Turning back to her, his brow creased thoughtfully.

"Are you sure you don't remember him?"

A soft sigh escaped her chest. "Yes, I'm positive Henry."

* * *

><p>Holding back her snickers, Lily watched as Emma went up against Regina... only to go down in a rather large amount of flames. Sharing a glance with Gold, whose face was a blank mask, Lily stood and left the council meeting. She'd known about Regina's plan, however, Gold had forbidden her to speak of it to Emma or even Henry. While usually far less obedient, Lily figured that as long as Emma didn't lose her position as Sheriff and leave town, she let this one go.<p>

When Gold stood, Lily followed suit and left the building with him. As the rest of the people filed out, Lily and Gold watched as Regina answered questions for a group of people. As Emma and Sidney approached the former's car, Gold quickly moved to intercept them.

"Look at her – queen of the castle." He observed quietly, eyes glinting. "You know, what you did in there was commendable, Miss Swan. But if you really want to bring her down, you're going to need a strong ally."

Emma bristled. "Like yourself? Thanks, but I'm still not interested."

"Oh, one can wish." Gold replied calmly before he turned around and headed towards his car. "Come alone, Lillian."

Sending Emma an apologetic shrug, Lily followed her guardian away from the infuriated blonde behind her.

As she watched Lillian and Gold walk away, Emma reined in the anger and humiliation rising up inside her. To make matters worse, she heard Regina's voice from behind her.

"Miss Swan. A word?" Regina sent Sidney a dark look. "Alone."

Without a word, Sidney took the hint and left, leaving Emma alone with Regina.

Regina quickly got to the heart of the matter. "I don't know what you were hoping to accomplish in there. But now, I hope you'll go back to your job. Which is upholding the law – not breaking it." Her eyes narrowed. "You don't think I know you broke into my office?"

Emma sneered in response. "Don't pretend like you're so innocent. I know you messed with the brakes on my car." She accused.

"Your brakes? Are you delusional?" Regina asked incredulously. "Why would I kill you when you just saw I had nothing to hide?"

"Nothing I can prove."

"Well, until you have something more substantial than disdain to throw my way, you're going to stay away from me. And, more importantly, from Henry." regina ordered.

"But that's- " Emma began, only for Regina to cut her off.

"Not open for discussion." The mayor snapped flatly. "You've lost the high ground, Sheriff. If I wanted to, there's not a judge in the world that would deny me a restraining order after what you've done. You don't get to see my son unless I say so. And right now?' She leaned closer. "I don't say so."

"I think we've been down this road before." Emma managed to get out.

Regina let out a harsh chuckle. "Oh, you mean Lillian? Well, unless you want her to lose her job - and contact with Henry - you'll leave her out of this."

* * *

><p><em>"Are we ever going to leave?" The dark-haired boy asked, watching as Lilith continued to stare out at the waves.<br>_

_"I made you a promise, Bae." Bright blue eyes focused on him. "I'm getting us home."_

_She turned back towards the crashing waves, the blue of her eyes giving way to a vibrant red._

_"One way or another, we're getting the hell off Neverland."_

* * *

><p>Emma watched Henry on the playground with a sad smile. She watched as Henry dragged a laughing Lillian onto the playground, the teen showing a surprising skill for acrobatics.<p>

Lily jumped down from the monkey bars and spun around, trying to grab Henry when he took her scarf. When she did, she caught sight of Emma in her squad car and sent the blonde a small wave. Henry saw and turned, sending Emma a big smile along with a wave of his own.

Pulling out his walkie-talkie, he spoke. "Why are you so far away? Come out here!"

Emma pulled out her own. "Sorry, kid. I can't today."

"You're undercover, aren't you? For Operation Cobra?" He asked, frowning when he saw the sullen expression on Lily's face.

Emma swallowed thickly before pressing the button. "No, Henry. I'm not undercover. Your mom – she doesn't want us seeing each other for a while." She forced out.

"You don't have to listen to her." Henry pointed out quietly.

"Actually, this time, I do. I screwed up, Henry. I got mad at your mom about you and the book and everything and… Well, we're just going to have to be apart for a little while."

Lily's heart twisted at Henry's response.

"I don't want to be apart."

Emma's voice was thick with sadness. "Neither do I. But, right now, we have to. Don't worry – I'll find a way back in." She swore. "And hey. If it's out there, Henry – I will find your book."

At that, Lily leaned down and pressed the button on the walkie-talkie. "Good luck. It's probably gone."

Henry pulled the walkie-talkie back.

"And it's probably never coming back."

* * *

><p><strong>Thoughts? Comments? Questions?<br>**


	12. Skin Deep

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot and any unrecognizable characters and dialogue.**

**Glad you liked the last update! And, yes! Lily's mother is a Thumbelina character - I tweaked the story a bit though. I'm glad you seem to like the new twist. **

**Thank you for all who have at least chosen to read my story - especially those that leave reviews. It's so lovely getting feedback from you all!**

* * *

><p>Lily watched the sun rising over the water silently, shivering when the wind battered her small form. Another night of no sleep had seen her walking to the beach at four in the morning just to watch the sunrise.<p>

The sight of it made her eyes burn and water. Pain rose up in her chest, making her idly wonder how much more she could take. It was one thing when she was Cursed... she didn't know what was wrong, even though she'd known she was missing something. But now... now it was a struggle just to push back the pain rising inside her.

"Lillian!"

She turned to see Henry clambering down the small hill towards her. Turning back to the surf, she raised her fist and scrubbing at her wet face. Once the tears she hadn't even been aware of were gone, she turned back to him.

"Hey, Henry." She greeted when he collapsed next to her. "How're you holding up?"

Henry didn't reply, sizing his baby-sitter - his sister - up quietly. Her bright blue eyes were bloodshot and her voice had a stuffy, almost nasal quality to it. He frowned at the thought of her crying, though couldn't think of a reason for it. Except... today was Valentine's day.

"Lillian... what happened to you during those thirty years?" He asked, watching as her shoulders stiffened.

Lily held back a rather obvious flinch in reaction to the question. Henry, despite his inquisitive nature, had never pressed her about the missing years in her story. That he would now...

She turned to face him, her wide eyes welling up with tears when she saw his understanding gaze.

"I know I'm just a kid but... whatever happened, you can tell me about it. I promise." He swallowed past the growing lump in his throat. "And why Valentine's Day bothers you so much."

"Henry..." She began softly, reaching out to pull him to her side. "If I tell you, do you promise not to tell anyone else? Not even Emma."

He nodded solemnly. "I promise."

She inhaled deeply before she turned back towards the water.

"I... I wanted to repay Rumpelstiltskin... and it led me to a place called Neverland."

* * *

><p><em>Lilith sat up with a groan. She winced, pacing a hand on her sore head as she swallowed past the taste of blood in her mouth. Looking around, she frowned at her surroundings.<em>

_A warm, rather humid jungle sprawled around her and she slowly began to stand. As she looked around, the back of her neck prickled warily._

_"How did you get here?" She turned to see a shadow with gleaming, yellow eyes hovering over her. It drifted closer, ignoring the fire that sprung to life in her palm. Suddenly, it stopped and stared at her silently._

_"Where is 'here' exactly?" She demanded quietly._

_A raspy chuckle came from the shape as it lazily flew around her. "It's about time you showed up." He chided, making the girl bristle._

_"What are you talking about?" She asked, following it with her eyes. "And where the hell is here?"_

_"You're on Neverland." _

_That word. That word made her sight grow blurry and her head heavy. Both hands tangled in her hair as she struggled to remain upright, though the pounding in her head brought her to her knees._

'Neverland is where, I live. Maybe one day you will too.' A green-eyed boy promised her, smiling when she flung her arms around him.

_"_He_ will be so happy to see you." The shadow continued, ignoring her obvious distress. Truthfully, the Shadow was happy that she'd finally arrived. It would stop his master from pouting._

_"W-who is _he_?" Lily managed to spit out through clenched teeth, raising her pained eyes to meet its gaze._

_"Why don't I show you to him?"_

_The tone of its voice made her bristle warily. She forced herself to stand on weak knees and glared up at it._

_"Perhaps you should bring him to me." The blue of her eyes gaze way to a deep red. She raised her hand and flung out the fire, only for it to pass harmlessly through the shadow. It silently enveloped her and made her world go black._

_"You don't have a choice."_

* * *

><p>Lily entered the diner, smiling sadly at the sight of David and Mary Margaret sitting at adjacent tables. As she wandered over to them, she caught their conversation.<p>

"Oh, you got the book." Mary Margaret began, sounding rather pleased with that fact.

David held the book up. "Yeah. Yeah, I just started it. It's great." He smiled at her. "Can't wait to see how it ends."

Lily reached the table the same time as Ruby, who caught sight of her friend's pale face.

"Lillian, honey, you okay?" The waitress asked as she refilled Mary Margaret's coffee.

The teen nodded, giving Ruby a wan smile as she rubbed at her sore, salt-stained face. "I'm good, Rubes." She glanced down at the not-couple gazing up at her and smiled. "You know, if you want, Ruby could push the tables together-"

"Oh, no. We're not together." Mary Margaret said the same time David sputtered out, "No!No, that's- "

Lily's smile widened, a bit of life coming to her ashen features. Ruby, seeing that her friend was fine, waltzed away as said friend sat next to Mary Margaret.

Both dark-haired women looked up when the door opened and smiled at Emma when she walked in.

"Hey, David." Emma greeted the man when she sat across from Mary Margaret.

David smiled at her. "Hey." He turned back to his book, giving the trio some semblance of privacy.

"Mary Margaret." Emma glanced at Lily, her eyebrow raising at the girl's face. "Lillian." She looked away with a sigh. "So," she began, attempting to sound nonchalant. "How's your day going?"

"Henry's fine." Lily answered calmly, silently pursuing the menu she'd seen for the past twenty-eight years.

Emma blanched. "That's not what I asked you." She paused, wincing at the knowing expression both women sent her. "...You sure?"

"Really – he's his normal self." Mary Margaret said with a small smile. "Regina won't keep you separated forever. When people are supposed to be together, they find a way."

Emma returned the expression weakly. "Yeah. So, he's his normal self? He's fine? He's happy?"

"Yes. No!" Mary Margaret backtracked when she caught sight of Emma's expression. "He misses you – a lot. Trust me – I'm with him, like, six hours a day."

Lily, who was only paying slight attention to the conversation, grinned when the door opened again. Ashley entered the diner, shared a hug with Granny before she passed off her daughter to the cooing woman. Seeing Lily, the mother made a beeline for the table.

"Six hours? You take newborns?" The blonde asked with a smile. "'Cause I'd love six hours off."

"Ashley!" Mary Margaret looked up at her, startled. "I didn't… I didn't even recognize you."

Ashley let out a chuckle as Lily rose to hug her friend. "Baby on the outside?" She teased as Lily pulled away and both seated themselves.

"How's it going?"

"It's, uh… It's, uh… I mean, baby's great, but we really haven't had time to do the whole getting married thing." Ashley said, not sounding very excited about the situation. "So, that's been rough. And Sean's been working double shifts at the cannery."

"Well, he has to work." Mary Margaret said sympathetically.

Ashley smiled up at Ruby when she brought her her coffee before she turned back to Mary Margaret. "On Valentine's Day? Yeah." She scoffed. "He couldn't get out of it."

"I'm sorry." Emma offered. "That sucks."

"It doesn't have to." Ruby began, gaining a gleam in her eye that Lily shivered at. Said gleam had always promised a makeover somewhere throughout the plan. "Come out with me. Let's have a girl's night. We can all go. Mary Margaret, Lillian – Emma, too. If you leave the badge at home." She smirked towards the blonde Sheriff.

"I'm not really in the party mood, but you guys can all go and have fun." Emma deflected the invitation, looking down when her phone began to vibrate.

Lily rolled her eyes before she and Ashley turned their attention towards Ruby and began to chatter about the 'girls' night out'.

* * *

><p><em>"You have fire." Peter leaned back and licked his lips, pressing closer to Lilith as his eyes smoldered. "I like fire."<em>

_She stared at him, her expression guarded even as fire raced through her. Without a word, she pressed against his chest and shoved him from her. His expression didn't change, silently telling her magic had nothing to do with the distance between them. As the heat intensified, she grabbed at her heart with a soft moan of pain._

_Falling to her knees, she gasped for breath as her lungs began to constrict. The cold, numb feeling she'd lived with for the past eight years was slowly burning away and she had one person to blame._

_"Why am I here?" She demanded flatly, not reacting when he kneeled next to her._

_He raised his hand, brushing his knuckles against her pale cheek as she glared up at him. Her expression was stoic, giving nothing away even as her eyes burned with anger and confusion. She didn't react even as his fingers stroked her taut jaw, though she obviously relaxed when he pulled his hand away._

_"I once told you you belonged here," he began, ignoring the surprise that briefly flashed across her face. "And now I can see that I was right."_

_"Would you please tell me what you're bloody talking about!" She exploded, cold fury settling in her eyes. "We've never met before that night!"  
><em>

_"Yes," he argued hotly, suddenly right before her. "We have."_

_His hand raised and reached for her forehead. She jerked back, though he ignored it until his fingertips were touching her pale skin._

_"And I'm going to make you remember."_

* * *

><p>"Gold?" Lily called, entering the house she seldom stayed in. She stopped short at the sight of Emma and her guardian standing several feet apart from each other. "Uh... you called?"<p>

"Indeed, Lillian." He turned to an expectant looking Emma. "Sheriff Swan, you can go now. I know exactly what was taken and who did it. We've got it from here."

She frowned, not liking his tone. "No, you don't. This was a robbery – a public menace. And if you don't tell me what you know, I'll have to arrest you for obstruction of justice." She held back a smug smirk. "I have a feeling you don't want to be behind bars."

Gold shared a long look with Lily, who simply shrugged. Emma eyed them, confused as to why Gold seemed to be asking Lillian for permission.

Eventually, Gold sighed. "Indeed not. Alright, his name's Moe French. He sells flowers. He recently defaulted on a loan. A short time ago, we had a little disagreement over collateral."

"Disagreement. Ha!" Lily snorted under her breath.

Emma's eyes narrowed, though she responded only to Gold. "Okay. I'll go get him – check him out."

"I'm sure you will – assuming I don't find him… Let's just say, bad things tend to happen to bad people." He hissed out softly, holding back the malice filled sneer he could feel building up.

"Is that a threat?" Emma asked softly, almost in disbelief.

Lily and Gold shared another long look.

"Observation." The dark-haired teen finally offered calmly. She kept her face free of any expression, meeting Emma's stare. "Good luck."

* * *

><p><em>"I remember meeting you in that clearing with Rumple." She offered shortly, anger renewing its grip on her. "Before that, I didn't even know a person name 'Peter Pan' existed."<br>_

_He continued to stare, giving no indication he'd heard her. Without a word, she stood and spun on her hell, stalking through the woods. She got maybe five feet before a hand rapidly spun her around.  
><em>

_Both panted angrily as they stared up at each other, green clashing with blue. Without a word, Peter's hand snapped forward, grasping the chain of her necklace and yanking it from under her blouse. She barely held back a yelp of shock, her eyes widening when he reverently touched the small acorn charm._

_"I made you this." He whispered furiously, his breath stirring the hair that hung over her eyes. "And it has very special properties." Before she could snap, he raised the charm to his lips and brushed them over the silver object._

_Between one second and the next, Lilith was on the ground, clutching her head. Pain assaulted her from all sides until her head felt as if it would burst. Memory upon memory slammed into her consciousness. All of the boy standing above her. Visions of her as a child running into his arms, kissing his cheek, smiling happily at him went on and on until she collapsed onto the dirt._

_Wide-eyed, she could only stare up at him as her breath left her lips in harsh pants. With a softening expression, Peter crouched down next to her and gently brushed his fingers down her jaw once more._

_"Still believe we've never met, love?"_

* * *

><p>With a sigh, Lily adjusted the white-collar of her black, illusion dress. Ruby smacked her hands away, ignoring her friend's annoyed yelp.<p>

"Quit messing with it! It looks fine!" She continued pinning up Lily's curls, tongue poking out of the side of her mouth in concentration. "Why do you have so much hair?"

Lily rolled her eyes at the demanding tone. "Good genetics." She mumbled, yelping once again when a bobby pin scraped her scalp. "Hey! Watch it!"

Ruby chuckled in a devious manner, sending a red-painted smirk to her the younger girl. Lily, thankfully, hadn't put up too much of a fight with her decisions on the dress, make-up and hair, though that didn't mean she let it happen quietly.

"Quit being such a baby." Ruby chided as she slid the last pin into place. "Besides, I'm done!" She announced, pulling from the vanity as Lily turned her head, examining the up-do from all angles. "It was nice go Gold to let us get ready here."

"Well it _is_ technically my house too." Lily reminded her just as the bathroom door opened.

Both dark-haired women turned to see Ashley stepping out of the adjoining room. The blonde stopped when she felt their gazes and smiled sheepishly at their surprised gazes.

"Yes?"

Ruby let out a low whistle in response while Lily smirked. "Damn, Ash. Wanna tell us how you lost all that pregnancy weight so fast?"

Ashley surprised them by winking cheekily. "A lady never reveals her secrets." She teased as all three dissolved into laughter. As Ashley fidgeted with her back, she turned her attention to Lily as the younger girl tugged on the hem of her dress. "So, where is Gold tonight?"

Lily shrugged, expression bored. "No idea." She lied through her teeth, inwardly wincing when Ashley nodded and looked away. Gold was, more than likely, currently in the process of dismembering Moe French for daring to touch what was precious to him.

_All this for a chipped cup._

* * *

><p><em>Peter looked up, frowning when he caught sight of Lilith and Baelfire seated as far from the fire as possible. Ever since their latest failed escape attempt, both had withdrawn from everyone but each other. Not that he blamed them - they shared a common goal and past. But he would relish the day Lilith in particular realized that there was no escaping Neverland.<em>

_Or him._

_Lilith felt her senses prickle as she felt Peter's gaze burning the side of he face. She ignored him in favor of gently humming for Bae. He curled closer to her in response, his head resting on her shoulder. As her humming died down, Bae shifted so his dark eyes were focused on her face._

_"Does that song have words?" He asked innocently while she did all she could to stop from stiffening._

_Not trusting herself to speak, she nodded once. His head tilted curiously, though he sensed that pressing wouldn't be a good idea right now. With a sigh, his head fell back onto her shoulder and he soon drifted off._

_The moment his breathing evened out, Lilith gently pulled Bae's limp body off her. She settled her cloak beneath his head before she left him asleep on the ground. Scowling darkly, she stood and stalked into the jungle, widely ignoring the curious glances of the sentries. As the leaves and twigs crunched underneath her boots, she could feel his presence - like dark heat - on the edge of her senses.  
><em>

_"You can come out," she called, keeping her eyes ahead. "Instead of trying to stalk me through the trees."_

_"You know me, love." He reappeared to ahead of her just to the left, leaning on a tree. "I so prefer action to words."_

_She huffed under her breath darkly. Without a word, she stopped in front of him and met his gaze. Smoothly, he pulled from the tree and raised his hands to cup her pale jaw line._

_Other than a soft hitch of breath, Lilith showed no other outward reaction. Inside, however, she was a mess. Ever since she'd regained her humanity and her memories of the boy before her, something had been different. In his presence where she'd once only felt cold anger, an odd kind of heat had begun to grow inside her._

_Especially when he looked at her like that._

_A smirk crawled up his cheek seconds before he leaned forward, his forehead resting against hers. "Something wrong, love?" He whispered, hands drifting from her shoulders. His fingertips trailed down her neck, forcing her to hold back a shiver. Her face remained expressionless, even as his face neared hers._

_However, both of them could feel the frantic thumping of her heart under her chest. Swallowing past the growing lump in her throat, Lilith opened her mouth as his green gaze seared into hers._

_"Peter-" A startled gasp escaped her lips when his lower lip brushed against her top one. His eyes never left hers even as his lips continued to hover frighteningly close to her own. Her heart jumped in her throat as her pulse began to pound loudly in her own ears. Her lips parted again, only for him to cut off any sounds she tried to make._

_He kissed her. Gently at first, but with a growing passion. It wasn't like the soft, chaste kiss he'd given her the night she'd arrived on Neverland. No, this one was hard, hungry and _terrifying_. The heat that had been growing inside her engulfed her in an inferno and she found herself responding even as her heart suddenly lurched deep inside her._

_Peter's hand rose from her shoulders, cupping her cheep as he deepened the kiss. His other hand fell to her lower back, where he splayed it and pressed her closer. Her own hands raised, lacing through his thick, tangled hair. Lost in the haze as heat began to pump sluggishly through her veins, she barely noticed when she parted her lips and released a breathy moan. However, when his tongue gently ran across her lower lip, all sanity returned to her - slamming into her with the force of a boulder.  
><em>

_With a gasp, she jerked away from him and was halfway across the clearing before he could blink. Her shaking hand rose, trembling fingers brushing over swollen and bruised lips. Her glazed over eyes suddenly cleared. Fury - cold and comforting - settled in her chest and her eyes were suddenly red._

_Chest heaving, Peter stared at her from across the clearing, something oddly triumphant in his darkened gaze. The sight of his expression made her fury increase even as it fueled the heat inside her. _

_"Don't!" She snapped loudly, the volume of her voice freezing him mid-step. "Don't!" Her voice softened to the usual level, though her eyes had hardened. "Stay away from me."_

_His eyebrow rose in disbelief. "And, why would I do that?" He breathed, taking a threatening step forward. "I've waited for you for to come for _eight_ years. I've waited centuries for you!"_

_"I never asked for this!" She exploded, standing her ground even when he towered over her. Anger thrummed through her veins at the arrogant set of his face. "I didn't ask to be born or for you to have this - this obsession - with me!"_

_"It's not an obsession." He hissed back, his face like ice. She mirrored the expression, her eyes glowing red in the dim light of the jungle. "You are mine."_

_"I am no one's." _

_With that, she was gone from his presence, leaving him there to ponder what had just happened. As he raised a hand to his own swollen lips, a smirk began to crawl up his cheek._

_No matter what she said, _she hadn't resisted him_._

* * *

><p>Lily and Ruby both laughed when Ashley knocked back a shot before she dove for her beer. Mary Margaret watched, torn between amusement and concern<p>

She settled for both and chuckled out, "Pace yourself, Ashley."

"I am!" Ashley proclaimed, slamming down her glass. "This is the first night out since I've had the baby – I am making up for lost time." She reached for another shot as Lily calmly sipped her own drink.

Ruby suddenly perked up, eyes filling with delight. "Ooh, Ash, Lils – check out those guys." All eyes followed her finger, pointed at several guys hovering at the bar.

"Oh, honey, I'm still with Sean." Ashley chuckled out as Lily shrugged disinterestedly.

Ruby's brow rose. "You're not married, and he's not here."

"He's working." Ashley defended.

Ruby snorted. "He's always working." She stood, flicking her long hair over her shoulder. "Have fun moping." She stalked off to the bar, smiling sultrily at the men.

As they watched Ruby flirt with the guys at the bar, Ashley sighed deeply.

"She's right – he is always working." She admitted softly as Lily drew a comforting arm around her. She sent lily a small smile before it twisted into a frown. "I thought love would be different."

"Me, too." Mary Margaret agreed.

Lily, however, remained silent, not that either woman thought much of it. To them, she was a seventeen year old girl that had never had a relationship with anyone that wasn't platonic. After several minutes, Mary Margaret got up, leaving Ashley and Lily alone.

"You know... seeing all these couples makes me glad I'm alone." Lily suddenly mused, examining her glass before she knocked back the shot. Ashley was saved from responding to the very random, very pessimistic statement when Mary Margaret came back.

"Girls' night's really working out for you." The teacher said, eying Ashley's drawn, unhappy face carefully.

Ashley looked down. "I thought it would make me feel better. But the truth is, I need a 'be with my guy night'. But he's never around, and I'm at home with the baby all day." Her lips twisted into a frown. "I mean, what's the point of being together if we're not together?"

"I get it. Loving someone you can't be with – " Mary Margaret began.

"Is a terrible, terrible burden." Lily finished quietly, twisting her necklace between her fingers.

Ashley suddenly stood. "You know, this was a bad idea. I should… I should go home."

She turned to leave seconds before Sean entered the bar. The blonde started in surprise at the sight of her boyfriend and the flowers he carried.

"Ashley?" Sean asked, the nervous lilt to his voice making Lily and Mary Margaret share a look.

"Sean?"

He smiled. "Hey."

"I thought that you were working tonight?"

"I am – it's my break." He explained quickly as Lily smiled at them. "And I… I had to see you. And ask you something." He handed her the bouquet before he suddenly kneeled and pulled out a ring. Ashley gasped loudly, tears filling her eyes at the sight of it. "Will you marry me?" He asked, swallowing thickly when she didn't respond and stared at him in shock. "I only have a twenty-minute break, so, um, anytime now."

"Yes!" Ashley nearly shrieked, laughing when he smiled and stood. He slipped the ring on her finger and they kissed while Lily and Mary Margaret looked on with smiles.

"My truck's outside if you want to take a ride before I head back to work. It's not much of a date-"

Ashley interrupted him. "It's the best date."

He offered her his arm. "Then, your carriage awaits."

Lily sighed as the couple walked away, waving at Ashley when she turned to beam back at them happily. To Lily's surprise, Mary Margaret suddenly stood and, with am uttered goodbye, stalked from the bar.

Aware that she wouldn't have very much fun by herself and, with a quick glance behind her, surmised Ruby was busy. Sighing again, Lily stood, brushed off her skirt, and quickly left the bar.

As she walked into the street, she caught sight of Ashley and Sean in the truck. Turning her head, she frowned at the sight of Mary Margaret and David, but said nothing. They could figure out _that_ mess themselves. As she stalked down the sidewalk, she glared down at her heels until a familiar presence washed over her.

She went completely stiff, only raising her eyes to see a familiar person standing in the middle of the road ahead of her. Wide-eyed, she remained in place as he slowly stalked forward. Her eyes shut at that and she raised her hand to rub at her head, silently trying to convince herself she was just drunk and seeing things.

That was until calloused, warm fingertips brushed against her arm. Startled blue eyes snapped open to see Peter's confused, green gaze searing into hers.

"Lily?' He whispered softly, brushing his knuckles against her jaw as they stared at each other in complete shock.

"Peter?" Her hand raised shakily, brushing against his pale cheek as tears sprang to her eyes. "A-are you really-" A startled gasp tore from her throat when her fingers suddenly slid through his previously firm flesh. Her other hand fell from her head and tried to touch him, only for it to fall through his shoulder too. "Peter!"

"Lily!" He scrambled, his fading hands passing uselessly though her body. Both watched each other in stunned shock as they faded from each others view. Holding back the tears clogging her throat, she barely reacted when her phone began to ring.

Numbly, she raised the object to her ear. "Hello?"

"Lillian?" Emma's voice came through the phone. "I need you to come down to the station - Gold's in prison."

"Okay." She whispered through numb lips, barely hearing Emma's concerned voice as her hand dropped from her ear. She waited for the pain to hit her and it didn't disappoint. However, a glimmer of hope began to flare in her chest and she raised a hand to brush away her tears. Steeling her spine, she turned and stalked towards the Station, wondering what the hell her guardian had done now.

* * *

><p>Realms away on Neverland, Peter Pan dropped his hand to his side as Lily's wide-eyed body faded away. His hand, still tingling with warmth, clenched into a fist as his chest began to heave.<em><br>_

Spinning on his heel, he raised his voice loud enough for every lost boy to hear him.

"Wake up, boys!" He looked around the camp as it came alive, focusing on Felix's narrowed gaze. "We have a board to set."

* * *

><p><strong>Thoughts? Comments? Questions?<br>**


	13. What Happened to Frederick

**Dislcaimer: I own nothing but the plot and any unrecognizable characters and dialogue.**

**Sorry about the wait! This chapter has some more Peter in it - hope that makes up for the wait!**

**Thank you to all the reviewers, readers and people who have faved and followed this story!**

* * *

><p><em>Lilith reclined on the marble steps below her, gazing up at the moon silently. The soft sound of flapping made her eyes snap towards the descending bird. The oddly colored sparrow landed lightly on her shoulder, chirping excitedly.<em>

_Without a word, she offered her hand to the bird. It hopped onto her fingers, continuing to tweet as she gently set it on the steps next to her. As its chirping became almost demanding, Lilith sighed, her hand beginning to glow silver._

_"All right, all right." She muttered, brushing her glowing fingers against the top of the sparrow's head. She pulled her hands back, watching silently as the bird began to glow. As the light intensified, the shape of the bird began to grow and twist until it resembled that of a human._

_Within seconds, Jacquimo was kneeling before her and shaking his head rapidly. As he raised his gaze to meet hers, he smiled sadly at her._

_"You're looking well, my lady."_

* * *

><p>Henry looked up at the sound of footsteps and watched Lily slide down the small embankment. She flicked her long, curling tresses from her face and smiled down at him. Opening her arms for a hug, she held him tightly when he went into them.<p>

"So," she began once they'd both sat down on the soft sand. "What was so important that you needed me before noon?" She reminded him that it was a Saturday - the only day she had to herself for a few short hours that usually found her sleeping in bed.

"You've been acting weird." Was all he offered, making her eyes widen.

She must have been acting really strange for both Henry and Gold to pick up on it. Ever since her... _encounter_ with Peter, she knew she'd been acting different. Looking over her shoulder constantly, acting as jumpy as physically possible and she hadn't been sleeping again.

Visions, mainly while she was awake, of Peter tormented her every waking moment. She felt as if she was going mad, the feeling only abating whenever she was with Henry. While she wasn't sure why Henry made the feeling of being watched go away, she wasn't going to question it.

"I... I've just been having bad dreams again." She replied finally, looking down at her hands. "Also I... I won't be able to watch you later today." She looked away from his frown.

"Why?" He felt his lips twist into a pout. He hadn't gone a Saturday without her since he'd been a baby.

She finally turned her gaze towards him. "I have a session with Archie today."

His eyes widened at that. Lillian had had sessions with Archie before but... she'd never looked this bad before.

"Is it... about the dreams?" He pressed quietly, hoping she didn't snap at him for asking. Thankfully, she nodded once before turning her attention back to the ocean. Without another word, Henry settled into her side.

Lily wrapped her arm around his shoulders, leaning her head on his own. She sighed deeply, taking comfort in his presence as he snuggled closer to her.

"Will you be okay, Lillian?" Henry whispered suddenly, his voice barely audible over the crashing of the waves.

"I don't know, Henry." She swallowed thickly past the growing lump in her throat. "I really don't know."

* * *

><p><em>"I see you've mastered your Curse." She remarked mildly as she stood.<em>

_Jacquimo nodded, stretching his muscles before he too stood on shaking legs. "Yes... it became necessary that I learn to switch between forms at will. Your Lady mother..." He paused at the mention of her mother, still unsure if it displeased her. When she made no sign of displeasure, he continued, "She needed someone with wings and, well, we both know she didn't have much of a choice."_

_Lilith nodded distractedly, fiddling with the charm around her neck. He glanced at it, his mouth going dry at the sight of the golden ring resting against the laces of her bodice._

_"Lilith... where did you get that?"_

_Her fingers stopped at his words, as if she hadn't realized what she'd been doing. Icy eyes glanced down at the charm before she turned them towards him._

_"Rumpelstiltskin gave it to me. He said my mother gave it to him before she died." Confusion practically oozed from him, making her eyes narrow in confusion. "Why?"_

_"I have seen that before." He whispered in return, still staring at the ring as if it was diseased. "When... when I helped to rescue your mother..."_

_Suddenly, her eyes were a vibrant red and she was standing before him. The red bore into his own as he fought the urge to cower from her obvious displeasure._

_"What are you saying?" She asked harshly, her gaze unwavering. "Speak, _sparrow_."_

_"I... that ring... it was given to your mother by the male Fairy that kidnapped her."_

* * *

><p>"So, Lillian, what seems to be the problem?" Archie asked the teen before him calmly, trying to ignore the fierce glare she was sending his way.<p>

"Well," she began flatly, resting her interlocked fingers on her stomach. "I can't sleep, for starters. I have horrible nightmares - which I wake up screaming from, mind you. Oh, _and _I'm pretty sure I'm starting to hallucinate said dreams."

"O-okay..." He reached up, rubbing at the bridge of his nose before he pushed his glasses back into place. "C-could you describe these dreams?"

Now he really did cower from her glare, no matter how undignified it was to be afraid of a girl that was half his age. Clearing his throat awkwardly, Archie proceeded to look everywhere but at Lillian.

Inhaling deeply, Lily slowly sat up, swinging her feet off the couch and onto the carpet. "I... I'm in a forest." She began hesitantly, barely aware of Archie focusing intently on the sight of her opening up. "Jungle, really. And... there's this boy..."

"The one you've mentioned before?" Archie whispered, hesitant to interrupt her. Thankfully, she merely nodded in response.

"Yes. And... he's just... he's always there..." Lily swallowed, unsure of how much to actually tell Archie, given that he was still cursed. If she started talking about Peter Pan and Neverland, she had a feeling she'd only get a one-way ticket to the asylum Regina thought was a secret.

"Do you recognize him?" He asked softly, keeping his voice low and gentle.

"I..." She stopped, aware of how crazy she'd sound if she talked about being trapped on Neverland for three decades. "Maybe. I'm not all that sure, to be honest."

Archie leaned back in his chair, lips pursed into a frown. While Lillian had opened up far more than he had ever hoped for, what little she'd said didn't exactly help explain her dreams. Nor was it going to help in the long run as none of what she'd said explained what was causing the dreams or how to make them stop.

As they both sat in silence, Lily suddenly heaved a deep sigh and resumed lounging on the couch as Archie watched.

"Honestly, Doc. I'm not even sure _you_ can fix the mess that's me."

* * *

><p><em>"Rumpelstiltskin!" The doorway slammed open, the heavy door knockers denting the plaster of the inside walls. Lilith stalked into the main hall, energy practically crackling from her fingertips as she demanded for her mentor to show himself.<em>

_"No need to shout, dearie!" Rumpelstiltskin appeared on the edge of the table, eying his assistant oddly as she rounded on him. "Now, what has you so riled?"_

_Without a word, Lilith twisted her hands, a golden ring appearing between her index finger and thumb. Nearly seething with rage, she threw the small bauble at her mentor, who easily caught it between his fingers. Amber eyes gazed at it curiously as he felt an odd pang in his chest at the sight of tears in her blue eyes._

_"You let me wear what that _thing _gave to my mother!" Her rage rattled the ceiling and as a small chunk of masonry fell onto the once pristine carpet, he wisely put several feet between them._

_"Now, now, dearie - " A spike made of a thorny branch shot past his face. As the projectile drilled into the far wall, her stared at her in shock as blood welled from the fresh cut marring his cheek._

_Panting harshly, Lilith drew her arm back and narrowed her red eyes at him. "Don't. Call. Me. Dearie." If possible, her gaze narrowed even more. "Or the next one goes into that thing you call a heart."_

_"You know," Rumple began as if she hadn't just threatened to kill him for the first time. He raised a hand, healing the superficial wound calmly. "I preferred it when you didn't have your humanity - far less temper tantrums."_

_"Temper Tantrums!?"_

_The glass that made up the windows shattered, the shards flying towards her. As he eyed the silent threat of being pincushioned by glass, Rumple quickly tried to calm his obviously upset assistant._

_"Poor choice of words, I admit. But, is what I did worth spilling the blood of the man that raised you?" _

_"I wasn't aware you even considered yourself a man anymore."_

_He fought the urge to roll his eyes at her sulky reply. Sensing the worst was over, for now, he gently pressed his advantage._

_"Details, details." He waved his hand mockingly. "Now, kindly repair the windows and I'll explain my horrid trickery."_

_While she knew he was still mocking her, the white-hot rage that had overtaken her waned. The reminder that he'd raised her and protected her all these years hit home, rendering her incapable of hurting him. With no sound and a flick of her wrist, the windows repaired themselves before she hopped onto the far side of the table._

_Seeing she was in a somewhat agreeable mood, Rumple sat at the head of the table and clasped his hands together on the wood._

_"Now, there was a purpose in giving you that ring..."_

* * *

><p>"Who was that?" Mary Margaret asked, looking after August as Emma joined her at the table.<p>

"I don't know yet." Emma replied, looking around for any excuse to change the subject. She found it in the empty chair beside her friend. "Where's Lillian?"

"She's with Archie, she'll be here soon and don't change the subject." Mary Margaret replied calmly, using her stern 'teacher voice'. "You said 'yet'. So, you're going to find out?"

Emma glanced at the door, silently praying to any deity that was listening for Lillian to hurry it up. "It's nothing."

"Nothing with you means something." The other woman ignored Emma's deflection. "Because if it were nothing, we wouldn't be talking about it."

"I'm sorry," Lily remarked from behind Emma, who nearly fell out of her seat. "I thought you called her here to talk about you?"

As Emma attempted to right herself and stop her heart from leaving her chest, Mary Margaret smiled sadly at the teen. "Yeah, but talking about her is easier right now."

Lily returned the expression, though it resembled more of a grimace. She sat down beside the teacher, leaning towards her. "What's going on?"

With a quick glance to make sure Emma had survived Lily's appearance, Mary Margaret leaned closer to them and lowered her voice to a whisper. "Remember when you both told me to stay away from David and I agreed?"

Emma and Lily shared a look. "Yes."

"I didn't."

Lily rolled her eyes as if it was the most obvious thing in the world and began to pick at the lace on her sleeve.

Emma refrained from such behavior and pinned Mary Margaret with a flat stare. "Yeah, we know."

"You do? How?"

"Because I'm Sheriff, and you are a lovesick school teacher." Emma's eyebrow quirked at Mary Margaret's stunned expression. "Covering your tracks is not exactly your strong suit."

"Well, I've been discre-" She cleared her throat at the incredulous expression both her companions wore. "Discrete."

Lily looked up from destroying her sweater. "Two teacups in the sink, new perfume, late nights, plunging necklines." She listed off quietly. "It really wasn't that hard to connect the dots.

Of the short list, Mary Margaret merely focused on one item. She glanced down at her rather matronly shirt. "Plunging?"

This time Emma did smirk. "When I met you, you were a top button kind of girl."

"Huh." Mary Margaret leaned back in her chair, not sure why she was so surprised. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I'm not your mother."

"Well, according to Henry, she's yours." Lily couldn't resist adding, beaming at the dirty look Emma shot her.

"I just figured that you would let me know when it was time." The blonde ground out, attempting to steer the conversation back on track. "I'm assuming it's time."

Mary Margaret nodded. "He's telling Kathryn."

"Everything?" Emma and Lily asked at the same time in surprise.

"Everything."

* * *

><p><em>"How about we-" Snow White stopped, hand flying to her chest as the purple smoke before her cleared. "Lilith! Don't do that!" She snapped, trying to calm her racing heart. As she breathed in deeply, she finally noticed the brightness of the eyes of her friend. "Lilith, what is it?"<em>

_The sorceress's breath quivered when she exhaled it, making Snow's worry go up another notch. Without a word, she shooed the servants and guards away. Gripping Lilith's arm, the princess led the younger woman to the nearest shadowed alcove, forcing her to sit on the cushioned seat._

_"All right, what happened?" Snow demanded as gently as possible._

_Lilith's breath still shook as she inhaled. Without a word, the other dark-haired woman produced a small golden ring set with a single emerald in the center. Snow took it cautiously, able to feel the magic pouring from it even though she'd never been trained in the craft._

_"You've been wearing this ring on your necklace... whose was it?"_

_Lilith forced her lips to form words, the feeling foreign and numb. "My mother's." She could feel Snow looking at her curiously when she made no move to explain further._

_"And... why has it upset you so?" Snow tried, not wanting to step on any proverbial toes. The last time someone had tried to get Lilith to open up it hadn't ended well. Doc was still trying to grow his beard back in time for the wedding._

_Lilith looked away from her boots, turning her bloodshot eyes towards Snow. She eyed the older woman and it took everything Snow had to not fidget under such scrutiny. She'd seen Lilith do too many things with what her eyes could do - horrible things that had helped win the kingdom and the war._

_"Rumpelstiltskin gave it to me... and I found out today he lied to me about how he found it." Her now red gaze turned towards the ring still in Snow's grasp. "He told me my mother sold it to him. Apparently someone did sell it... but not my mother." She inhaled deeply._

_"And...?" Snow asked cautiously as Lilith looked ready to snap at the slightest provocation._

_"My father sold it to him as payment for... for taking away my memories."_

_Snow's eyes widened in shock. Hurt coated Lilith's usual monotone, giving her voice a rough, hurt quality that the princess had never heard before. Without a word, Snow enveloped Lilith in her arms, stunned when the sorceress made no move to pull away._

_"Why would he do that?" Lilith's whisper shattered the still air between them. "He knows how much it hurts... he knew I'd regained my memories but he never told me _he_ was the one that took them."_

_"Lilith, what were these memories of?" _

_"Remember the boy I told you about? They were about him - I knew him when I was a little girl." A soft sniffle had Snow pulling back to see the tear-filled blue eyes staring up at her. "My father took away the only happiness I had after my mother died."_

_"Oh, Lilith." Snow soothed, drawing her back into her arms as the dark-haired sorceress began to silently cry. "He must have had his reasons."_

_Lilith didn't reply. She knew those reasons. Hearing Rumpelstiltskin say them had only reinforced what Peter had told her._

_Learning that she'd inherited her mother's gift, along with several others, was harrowing. It also didn't help that her parents had learned of a prophesy when she'd been born. One that had led to them seeking out the Dark One before and after her mother's death, to prevent it from happening._

* * *

><p>Lily reclined on the white sofa next to Henry, while her charge was handed a gift box by his mother. Both Henry and his babysitter eyed the gift dubiously, with the former asking the question.<p>

"What's the occasion?" He asked warily, looking at the wrapped box and its bow like he expected it to eat him.

"The occasion," Regina repeated, her nose wrinkling, "Is I love you. Go on," she encouraged, waiting with bated breath as he began to pull at the lid of the box.

Lily peeked over his shoulder, her desire to know the contents rapidly diminishing when she saw the game nestled in tissue paper. Henry, it seemed, agreed with her as he eyed the plastic toy with little to no excitement.

"Now, I know you miss your book," Regina started, slightly annoyed at the lack of response her gift had produced. She reached over his arm to touch the toy. "But with this, you can do the heroics. You can save the princesses, you can be the hero." She turned to her son, her voice as earnest as anyone in the room had ever heard it. "Henry, you have to believe me. When I tore down the playground, I did it for your safety. Please, don't be upset with me. I really didn't mean to destroy your book."

"It's not just the book." Henry muttered in a subdued voice - one that Lily saw right through. While she knew Henry was upset about his book, he was clearly using Regina's desire to please him to his advantage.

_Smart boy._ She smiled secretly, silently promising to tell him some more stories in reward.

"Okay, then what is it?"

"It's Emma – I want to see her."

Regina's mouth opened as she tried to hold back her ire at the mention of that woman, only for the door to open. All eyes turned to see Kathryn, miserable and pale-faced, in the doorway.

"Regina, have you got a min-" The blonde stopped cold at the sight of Henry and Lillian with the mayor. "I'm sorry."

Regina shook her head and stood. "Oh, don't worry about it." She soothed with a smile, glancing back to her son and his babysitter. "Lillian, why don't you get Henry home and have him start on homework? I'll be there in a bit and we can have dinner."

The dark-haired teen nodded, eying Kathryn discretely as she herded Henry out of the room. Once the door was shut behind them, Henry turned to look up at his bemused 'sister'.

"That was strange."

Lily sighed, gently tugging him down the stairs. "Not as strange as you might think. Let's get you home before your mother."

Hiding her emotional turmoil from Henry was easier than she though. Especially when he was dealing with fractions. Math, she found, was still not her best subject.

Regina, thankfully, arrived home within a hour of their own arrival, giving Lily the perfect excuse to leave despite the early hour. At least, after she promised Henry she'd stay even later the next day.

As she walked down the somewhat deserted streets of Storybrooke, heat brushed down her spine. Her wide gaze centered on the blurry figure standing in the middle of the road before her.

Unbeknownst to her, Gold was walking up the street. His eyes widened when he saw his assistant in the middle of the road, her eyes wide and terrified. Looking both ways, he carefully stepped from the curb, quickly making his way to her.

"Lillian?" She gave no indication of hearing him and he watched as she raised a hand to cover her mouth as tears filled her eyes. A quick glance showed Emma Swan exiting the diner and he cursed when her attention settled on Lillian's features.

"Lillian!?" Emma called out, a frown marring her brow when she saw the expression on the girl's face. She glanced around and saw Gold already hobbling towards his ward, his expression worried. "Gold, is she okay?"

"That remains to be seen." He muttered under his breath, keeping his focus on Lillian. "Lillian, dear." He raised his hand, gently cupping her ashen cheek moments before tears began to run down them. "Lillian!" He repeated more firmly, watching as the odd haze clouding her eyes faded.

Startled aquamarine eyes slid to meet his gaze moments before she fell apart. Sobbing almost hysterically, Lillian collapsed in Gold's arms, nearly forcing him to topple to the side. With a yell of surprise, Emma rushed forward and caught them.

Grunting with effort, she managed to keep Gold stationary while he transferred the weight of Lillian to the blonde sheriff.

"Gold, what the heck's wrong with her?" Emma demanded, breathless, as Gold stared down at Lillian's ashen, tear-stained face. "Gold?" Emma repeated, her gaze falling to the suddenly limp girl in her arms. "Hey, Lillian? Lillian!"

"Perhaps getting her to the hospital would be more conducive than shouting at her, Sheriff Swan." Gold snarled out in clipped, frosty tones.

Emma raised her gaze, looking at the man before he. His face was more foreboding than she'd ever seen and having that directed at her cause alarm to prickle across her skin. With a nod, she hefted Lillian's arm around her shoulder as Gold turned and headed towards Emma's car, parked in front of Granny's.

* * *

><p><em>Lilith perched on the ornate granite beneath her, one leg hanging off the edge. Leaning back against the wall behind her, she produced the ring again and held it up.<em>

_The magic pulsed underneath the moonlight, making her ire rise as Rumple's words echoed through her mind._

_"There was a prophecy - one your parents did not want to see come true."_

_"And what was this prophecy."_

_"'For every heart that she bleeds, shall colour her world red. And the sorrow in the night, will be the blue she cannot shed. But her strength will be a vision, beyond visibility and the gift she has within will give him new eyes to see.'"_

_"And who is _he_?"_

_Even now, the knowing in his gaze made her bristle. "I think we both know who _he_ is, dearie."_

_Shaking from her thoughts, she raised her eyes to the emerald winking in the moonlight before she let the ring fall into her palm._

_Only to set it aflame moments later._

* * *

><p>As Lillian rested on the starch, crisp hospital streets in Storybrooke with Gold keeping vigil at her bedside, much was happening realms away.<p>

Peter Pan inhaled deeply as his Shadow showed him the memory of Lily seeing him on the street moments before she collapsed. As his mind ran over every detail of her unchanged features, footsteps alerted him to another's presence.

"Felix." He greeted quietly, keeping his gaze on the horizon as the sun started to rise.

"Pan." The taller, scarred boy returned warily. Peter had been on edge ever since he'd found out his Shadow could temporarily send him to Storybrooke. It was obvious the Curse the Evil Queen had cast was strong, otherwise Felix knew Lily would have been returned to Neverland the moment Peter knew where she was. "Any progress."

"If you classify making Lily collapse as 'progress'."

"Collapse?" Felix repeated with alarm. "Why would your presence cause her to collapse?"

Peter let out a mirthless, low chuckle that sent shivers up Felix's spine. "Oh, it wasn't my mere presence that caused it." He turned to peer over his shoulder at his second in command. "It was me trying to pull her to Neverland."

"Was that wise?" Felix dared to ask, tensing when bright green eyes turned to stare at him. "You and I both know how tentative Lily's mental state has been since you returned her memories all those years ago." He paused as a thought came to him. "Unless the Dark One fixed the damage done to her mind?"

Peter was nodding. "Knowing him, he would have wanted his _student_ to be in perfect condition before throwing her at his enemies." An angry, rough scoff escaped his throat. "All for the purpose of allowing his Curse to be cast."

Felix stared at his leader, watching as the shorter boy seemed to withdraw into himself. Without a word, the blond lost boy slunk back into the shadows, hoping that Tiger Lily was returned soon.

For all their sakes.

* * *

><p>Floating on the edge of consciousness, Lily tried in vain to hold onto the last dredges of comfort the darkness gave her. However, the persistent buzz of voices refused to let her remain asleep.<p>

"You have no idea what caused this?" Obviously Whale.

"If I did, do you think I'd have brought her here?" Came the hissed voice of her guardian. Gold was obviously incensed, something that she knew terrified the majority of the residents of Storybrooke.

"Look, Mr. Gold. We're doing all we can. Her vitals are normal, all scans show she's in perfect health."

Gold grunted out something illegible, which gave Whale the sign that he was no longer welcome in the room. With a quickly muttered excuse, the doctor hightailed it out of the room. With a deep sigh, Gold raised a hand to rub at his tired eyes before raising his voice.

"I know you're awake, dearie."

Lily's lips quirked into a smile, though her eyes remained shut. "I still don't get how you can tell."

"Well," he watched as she turned to him and opened her eyes. "Memories of you growing up in the same house give me a sixth sense with these things." He sat on the hard, plastic chair with a groan. "Now, care to tell me what had you looking like you'd seen a ghost."

"I just might have." She admitted softly, sitting up among the stiff sheets. "Gold... how powerful is the Curse?" She could tell she'd caught his attention with that. "I mean, bad things happen when we try to leave the town... what about something trying to take us out?"

Hours later, discharged from the hospital and waiting on a bench for Henry, Lily drew her legs to her chest. Pressing her face to her knees, she released a shaking breath before running over her conversation with Gold in her head.

Her guardian had been almost flabbergasted by the idea that something could get into the town - other than Emma obviously. He'd still been quietly going over scenarios in his head when Whale had arrived to discharge her. She also knew he was more than likely tearing apart his personal library at his house at this very moment.

"Lillian!"

She looked up, hair flying around her face when she hopped off the bench and sprinted towards Henry. Picking him up with a happy yell, she spun them around until both were dizzy. Laughing, they stumbled over each other towards the bench where Henry practically fell onto her.

"When did you get outta the hospital?!" He demanded once he'd caught his breath, straightening to look up at her.

She smiled down at him. "This afternoon, I wanted to surprise you."

His smile told her she did just that. Practically beaming, he stuck to her side as they waited for Regina to come and collect him. Moments after he'd pulled out the game his mother had gotten him and was showing Lily how it worked, Emma walked up to them.

The blonde peered down at the game as she sat on Henry's other side, her eyes widening. "Wow, I love that game. Space Paranoids, right?"

"Yeah, my mom got it for me."

"I used to play that all the time when I was a kid." Emma revealed as Henry once again died.  
>"Relax – it's all in the wrists."<p>

He looked around almost warily before looking up at his birth mother. "My mom's picking me up in, like, five minutes."

"Alright. I'll be quick, then." Emma shrugged, reaching for her bag. "I just have something I'd like to give you." She produced his storybook from her bag, her smile widening when Henry's eyes went wide.

"You found it!" He reached for the book as Lily watched wide-eyed. "Where'd you get it?"

Emma smiled at his obvious delight as he and Lily flipped through the pages. "I found it in a gutter. It must have fallen off the dump truck on the way to the junkyard and got tossed around in the rain. And, somehow, made its way back to me."

Wow, that's... that's kinda insane." Lily remarked, gaining no arguments from Emma.

"What other explanation could there be?" The blonde asked, still smiling.

Henry shrugged. "I don't know."

"Well, whatever happened, it came back to me."

"Maybe, it means our luck is changing." Lily felt Henry beginning to vibrate next to her. "Operation Cobra is back on. It's a sign. Things are going to be better."

"I hope you're right, kid." Emma looked around as she got up, brushing a hand over Henry's shoulder. "I gotta go. Lillian, can you stop by Mary Margaret's place later?" Emma barely got a nod in before Emma left.

"This is great!" Henry enthused as he placed the book in his backpack moments before Regina pulled up.

"Yes," Lily agreed with a smile. "Yes, it is."

* * *

><p>Lily and Emma entered the loft, both pausing at the sight of Mary Margaret laying on her side in a fetal position in bed. Without a word, they nodded at one another before Emma sauntered over to the bed while Lily perched herself on the closest windowsill, not surprised to see David hovering uncertainly outside of the loft.<p>

"You feel like talking about it yet?" Lily heard Emma say quietly.

"Nope."

Emma paused for several seconds. "You want to be alone?"

"Nope."

Lily turned from the window to see Emma lay down on the bed next to Mary Margaret, wrapping her arm around the other woman's shoulder as she released a heavy sigh. Humming softly to herself, Lily turned back to the window to see David wandering away from the apartment, his head bowed.

As she continued to hum, Mary Margaret raised her head and stared hard at the girl at the window.

"What are the words?"

Lily stiffened, turning to look at both Emma and Mary Margaret before she hesitantly opened her mouth. The soft, low singing sent a shiver down Mary Margaret's spine as her mind rapidly tried to connect where she'd heard the song before, to no avail.

_"Once there was the sun, bright, and warm, and wonderful. Shining like the love within my heart." _

As the words died down, Lily slipped from her perch and settled in front of Mary Margaret on the bed, silently allowing the dark-haired woman to wrap an arm around her.

"Thank you, Lillian."

* * *

><p><strong>Thoughts? Comments? Questions?<br>**


	14. Dreamy

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and any unrecognizable characters and dialogue.**

**So not a lot of Peter in this chapter but hope the flashback makes up for it!**

* * *

><p>As Lily watched the altercation between Walter, Mr. Clark and Leroy from her spot next to Emma, she had to hold back a smirk. Said smirk, however, fell from her lips when the ball rang and Mary Margaret walked in.<p>

"Excuse me. Can I have everyone's attention, please?" Mary Margaret raised her voice, causing the entire diner to fall silent. Taking this as a good sign and, ignoring some of the stares, she continued. "I'm sorry to interrupt your morning, but I just wanted to remind everyone that a very special occasion is upon us – Miner's Day. As always, the nuns of Storybrooke are hoping that everyone will get involved, and will help sell their exquisite candles. All we need are a few energetic volunteers. So, who wants to join me?"

Both Lily and Emma winced sympathetically when no one responded. Everyone simply went back to what they were doing and the chatter resumed. As Leroy got up and headed to the door, Mary Margaret perked up.

"Leroy, you want to volunteer?"

"I want to leave, sister." He grumbled. "You're blocking the door."

Mary Margaret's smile faltered. "Of course. Uh, you know, if you wanted to help, it could really be a-"

"Oh, yeah. Right. Quite a team we'd make – town harlot, town drunk." Leroy scoffed harshly as Mary Margaret's smile was wiped from her face. "The only person in this town that people like less than me, is you. If you're coming to me, you're screwed."

That said, the burly man brushed past her and left. After standing there, wide-eyed and pale, for several heartbeats, Mary Margaret turned and exited also. Without a word, Emma and Lily stood and followed her from the diner, rushing to catch up with her.

"Hey." Emma greeted as they caught up with the teacher. "Mind if we join you?" Mary Margaret shrugged in answer. "So, what the hell is Miner's Day, and why are you beating yourself up over it?"

"It's an annual holiday celebrating an old tradition. The nuns used to make candles and trade them with the miners for coal." Mary Margaret explained.

Emma's brow creased. "Coal? In Maine? If they were mining for lobster, I'd understand."

"Yeah, it's confusing as hell, we know." Lily rolled her eyes. "Now, they use it as a fundraiser. It's an amazing party – _everyone _loves it."

"It doesn't seem like everyone loves it." Emma stated dryly, though kept her voice gentle.

Mary Margaret shook her head, guilt clouding her features. "It's not Miner's Day – it's me. Last week, I had ten volunteers. This week, they all dropped out."

"You think this is about what happened with David?"

"Oh, I know it is. A few of them told me as much." Mary Margaret looked down, a frown marring her brow. "I've never… been a home wrecker before."

"It's going to blow over." Emma assured her, lowering her voice. "You made a mistake with David – it happens. But, you don't have to do charity to try to win people's hearts back."

"I have to do something, and this is the best I can do." Mary Margaret looked down as Lily rubbed her arm comfortingly. "Love ruined my life."

Emma's phone rang, stopping her from offering any comforting words. "Sheriff Swan." She answered, listening for several seconds. "Yeah, I'll be right down." She hung up, sighing. "Well, apparently, duty calls. Hang in there." She placed a hand on Mary Margaret's arm. "And, if there's anything I can do to help, I will."

"I know." The teacher answered, trying to smile. "Thank you." As they watched Emma leave, she turned to Lily, who began to rapidly shake her head. "Oh, come on, Lillian-"

"No! No way in hell!" Lily pinned her with a dark glare. "You know I don't like nuns. Now, Henry's expecting me, I'll see you later."

As she watched the dark-haired girl stalk off, Mary Margaret sighed and shook her head before heading off herself.

"Who doesn't like nuns?"

* * *

><p><em>Lilith gripped the edge of the balcony, attempting to stop herself from scorching the stone beneath her clenched hands.<em>

_"I thought you had more control than this."_

_Her entire back went stiff beneath the cloak. Without turning, she hissed over her shoulder at the fluttering, sparkling fairy behind her._

_"And I thought you insects respected privacy." She turned, resting her back against the stone behind her and quirked a brow. "Or is that just _another_ lie you fairies like to spread?"_

_"Lilith-" Blue began, only to flit out of the way when a fireball shot at her. Furious blue eyes stared up at her, red bleeding along the edges. The sight of the red gave a clear indication of how furious the girl in front of her was._

_"I thought I'd made it clear." She hissed, stepping forward until she was inches away from the fairy before her. "Stay the hell out of my way!" Spinning on her heel, a purple smoke enveloped the girl, taking her away from the source of her fury._

_Blue watched as the smoke cleared, swallowing back the bitter taste of disappointment. Working so closely with the Dark Lilith would cause tensions to rise even if they didn't have a history. However, such history had put an even deeper strain on their working relationship._

_Sighing, Blue turned to flutter out of the room, wondering how that much hate could be contained in one person. Lilith had made it perfectly clear that unless the circumstances were dire, she would not be working in close quarters with any fairy, especially Blue herself._

_If only she had acted before the damage had been done, but she hadn't. And there was no use pondering over what-ifs. However, it seemed Lilith was as determined as her mentor to one day wipe out the entire race of fairies._

* * *

><p>"Will you be attending the Miner's Day festivities, Lillian?" Gold asked as they both ran inventory of the shop.<p>

Personally, Lily was pretty sure that she could do this job with her eyes closed. Having gone through the same motions every day, every week got old very quickly once you realized you'd been doing the same thing for twenty-eight year.

Letting out a scoff, Lily pinned Gold with a dark look that made him chuckle. Her distaste for the nuns, second to only his own, was rather well known around town. While not many knew Gold despised the nuns and looked for any excuse to kick them out of their building, Lillian was a different story.

The cover story was that Lillian had been left in an orphanage ran by nuns briefly before her adoption. The head nun had been cruel, mistreating Lillian for the short time she'd been under their care.

Gold, however, knew the true reason. And, from what he'd heard of Henry Mills' stories, he was the sole keeper of that knowledge. A quick glance at his ward allowed him to see that, despite her attempt at nonchalance, she still hadn't recovered from her ordeal the other day. Despite being convinced that another force had tried to take her away from Storybrooke, thus causing her collapse, she'd refused to name the culprit.

As it was, she looked much better than she had. Her eyes, while still that odd, luminous shade of pale aqua, had lost their glossy sheen. The dark shadows that had once seemed permanent had faded from her eyes, making her pale skin look less ashen.

She noticed his scrutiny, as one fine, dark brow rose. "What?" She snapped flatly, deftly picking up a set of decorative knives that had been hers before the Curse and setting them into the nearest cupboard.

"You're looking much better." He replied simply, watching the tense set of her shoulders relax. The concern in his voice was obvious, though only for her to hear.

"Yeah, Archie finally approved giving me drugs." She flashed him a smile, not reacting to his disapproving stare. "Hey, it's that or I'll end up stumbling into the harbor."

"Or stopping dead in the middle of the street?" He asked airily, not surprised when she went stiff and refused to meet his eye. "Lillian-"

"No, okay? It was nothing." She practically slammed down the ancient looking tome in her hands. "Lack of sleep finally got to me."

He opened his mouth to press the issue, then thought better of it. She watched a myriad of emotions flash across his face before his lips set into a firm line. She ignored the disapproval he tried to sear into her skull and nearly fled the back room.

"I'm going on break!" She yanked her coat off the hook and stormed from the shop. As she roughly pushed her arms into the sleeves, she nearly ran someone over.

Letting out an annoyed scoff, she knelt down and reached for the box of... candles? Raising her gaze, she met the stunned eyes of a nun. Despite her efforts, her lips twisted into a sneer and she slowly rose after handing the box to the obviously terrified sister.

"Here."

She stalked away, ignoring the rage slowly building inside her at the sight of a fairy. Even without their fripperies and annoying glow, the sight of the nuns had never failed to infuriate her.

_I really need to incinerate something._

* * *

><p><em>"So, Lilith will go with Blue-"<em>

_"No."_

_Charming turned at the furious hiss, his brow drawn together in confusion. One look at Lilith's mutinous expression stopped the exclamation building in his throat. Her eyes, already oddly bright, were nearly burning in their intensity._

_She stepped forward, keeping her gaze locked on Charming's. "I will not work with a fairy."_

_"May we at least know why?" Snow asked, struggling to keep her voice polite as they attracted the attention of everyone in the tent._

_"Light magic doesn't mix well with what I am." Was all that Lilith offered before she drew back against the shadows of the tent._

_When Blue made no protests, the couple was forced to let this go. Snow, however, would be extracting the whole story out of the dark sorceress the moment they had time to do so. As Lilith disappeared on a much needed scouting mission, Snow turned to Blue._

_"Okay, what the hell was that?" The princess demanded shrilly._

_Blue sighed deeply and fluttered closer to Snow. "If we could discuss the matter privately?"_

_With a nod, Snow and Blue quickly left the council tent, heading towards Snow's own private one. After gesturing for the princess to be seated, Blue sighed once more before beginning._

_"Lilith and I... well, you could say that we share a bit of a sordid past. Are you aware of what happened to her mother?"_

_Snow nodded. "Bits and pieces - rumors I've picked up over the years. I know she was a princess in a small kingdom and was stolen from her home before she came to marry Lilith's father." She peered up at the fairy curiously. "But what does that have to do with you?"_

_"Lilith's mother had a gift. She could heal any injury - it brought the wrong kind of attention." She looked down, suddenly looking as if she'd aged decades. "I suppose what happened next is my fault. There was once a fairy, so dark that I ended up stripping her of her magic before exiling her from this land. But, before I did so, she did the impossible - she created a male fairy."_

_Snow was unable to stop herself from gasping in shock as her mind put the pieces together. "So... what you're saying is..."_

_"Yes. This male fairy kidnapped Lilith's mother, intent on making her his bride. She escaped to another realm with the help of a childhood friend and was returned to our realm shortly after. However, before she could travel to this other land, the male fairy placed a curse on her." Guilt practically dripped from her voice. "She ended up rotting from the inside out."_

_Snow raised a gloved hand to cover her horrified expression. Blue looked away, having received enough of those exact looks directed at her from her own fairies after they realized what she'd let happen._

_"I didn't stop the boy - Cornelius - until it was too late." Her detached, serene facade began to crack. "By then, the curse had taken root while Lilith's mother was out of my reach. Even if I had been able to find her, it was too late. She made a deal while in this other realm, magic kept her alive until she bore Lilith and the magic she possessed. Both from bargain and by birth, was passed down to her babe."_

_Snow slumped on her cot, mind racing as she struggled to accept the impact this story had. "So that's why Lilith doesn't wish to be around you, or any fairies for that matter." She raised wide eyes to meet Blue's gaze. _

_"Yes. She blames us - more importantly me - for her mother's death."_

* * *

><p>Henry peered up at his babysitter in concern. As if she hadn't already been acting strange, she had shown up at his mother's office and practically begged to take Henry on a walk. His mother, despite wanting to spend time with him herself, had agreed to the teen's demands.<p>

As they walked through the path in the park, he came to realize that Lily was shaking.

Lily aimlessly wandered the park, Henry in hand. Her mind was doing the same. Seeing Peter the other day, or, whatever she could call that phantom image of him, had done nothing for her weakening grip on sanity. He'd tried to take her with him, telling her as much seconds before she'd felt the pull of his magic.

Then the fiery, painful backlash from the Curse as it stopped his actions had hit her.

Even now, she could still feel the immense heat burning through her. She could still see Peter's wide, horrified expression as he watched the magic rack through her body until she lost consciousness. His 'spectre' had disappeared moments before everything had gone black, telling her that he couldn't remain in Storybrooke for very long, especially when trying to take someone with him.

Still, her chest warmed despite everything else. Peter wanted her. He _had_ been trying to find her, though she had a feeling he wouldn't be trying to pull her into Neverland for a while. His usual playful, smirking expression had been replaced by sheer horror at causing her pain.

"Lillian?"

Henry's soft plea snapped her out of her musings. She turned to him, her eyes widening at the sight of his eyes glistening with tears. Without a sound, she opened his arms and he rushed into them. Clutching her tightly, he rubbed his face against her while trying to hold back tears.

"What's happening to you?" He asked fearfully. Moments after she'd stopped walking, he'd watched in shock as her eyes flickered between violent red and their usual aqua. "Your eyes..."

Lily raised a hand to her face, resting her fingertips just below her eyes in shock. _My eyes... but that's impossible._ She hadn't been able to prepare a cache of magic to bring along during the Curse like Gold and Regina had. Gold's casual mention of her possessing magic still, and now Henry claiming her eyes had turned red, made her stomach clench in dread.

"Henry," she knelt beside him, clutching at his shoulders. "You need to promise me not to mention this to anyone." His eyes were wide. "Not even Emma, okay?"

To her relief, he began to nod rapidly. "I promise!"

* * *

><p>"So why did you drag me out here?" Lily asked crossly, her nose wrinkling at the smell of fish.<p>

Gold hummed softly. "I believe _that_ is why." He raised his cane, pointing towards Leroy and the docked boat he stood next to on the dock.

"Now, I know it's a bit of a fixer-upper, could probably use a new coat of paint, a few spritzes of Febreze here and there, but you can't tell me that five thousand's not a reasonable price for this beauty." Leroy started once the two Golds had made it to his side.

Gold eyed the boat, lips pursed. "Three thousand, I think." He muttered finally as Lily watched Leroy suspiciously.

"I need five."

"You _need_ five?" Lily repeated and Leroy swallowed at the lack of expression on her face. "To what do we owe the specificity?"

Pushing past his nervousness, Leroy shrugged. "Trying to help out a friend."

"Oh, I see."

Taking Gold's utterance as acceptance, Leroy quickly pressed his luck. "Look, you don't even have to pay me anything. Just forgive one month's rent for the nuns."

Lily went stiff while Gold's voice turned dangerous. "The nuns?"

"You can have the boat." Leroy gestured towards said boat, clearly grasping at straws. "They'll pay you back eventually. It's a good deal. You get everything."

Gold turned to look at Lillian, not surprised by the mutinous expression on her face. "So, that's what this is about."

"Come on – you're a rich guy." The burly man stuttered out, having caught the look on Lillian's face. "You can afford to give them time to make up one month's, right?"

"You're right – I could." Gold agreed easily, aware of Lillian's sudden increase in fury.

"So, great." Leroy started to smile, only for Gold to make it fall from his face.

"But I won't." Gold stated calmly, barely able to hide his obvious pleasure with the fact. "I have a fairly specific rental agreement. If they miss a payment, I'm within my rights to evict."

"Oh, come on. Why don't you-"

"And, quite honestly, it's going to be a great relief to be rid of such distasteful tenants." Lillian spat out, her eyes narrowed in anger.

Leroy held back the urge to take a step away from the obvious fury in the girl's voice. "You don't like nuns?" He asked, looking between their faces. "Who doesn't like nuns?"

"Oh, we have our reasons. And they're ours." Gold's voice hardened ever so slightly. "Let's just say, we both have a long and complicated history with them, and leave it at that."

Turning on his heel, Gold gently gripped Lillian's elbow and tugged her along. Without a backwards glance, she allowed herself to be led away as fury burned inside her.

"The _nerve_!"

Gold chuckled at her soft hiss of annoyance, not surprised this time when he caught her eyes flashing red.

"Oh, I quite agree, my dear."

* * *

><p><em>Lilith held up her hand, watching as the eerie smoke-like magic swirled around it. Tilting her head curiously, she spun her hand and watched as a small whirlwind of the magic began in her palm. <em>Rumple was right._ Her hand formed a fist, the mist evaporating._

_Her mentor had claimed he'd given her the ring to help her latent abilities grow, proving that he had known much more about her past than she'd assumed. Then again, he _had_ been the one to take her memories all those years ago. It made sense he would find the seer that had seen her future, especially after he'd taken her on as a student._

_With a sigh, Lilith turned and lightly hopped off the balcony edge, going back into her rooms. The glass doors shut behind her, though she was unprepared to see Snow sitting on the mattress. The dark-haired princess' face was set with determination, making Lilith want to groan in annoyance.  
><em>

_"To what do I owe the honor?" She drawled, tugging off her cloak and flinging it on the nearby chair._

_"Blue told me." Snow rushed out, her eyes widening in shock when she realized what she had just done._

_Both women stared at each other in shock. Then, Lilith's eyes began to fill with fury while Snow's became contrite._

_"Lilith-"_

_"Save it, Snow." She snapped, her eyes narrowed. "I don't want to hear whatever drivel that bloody fairy told you-"  
><em>

_"She told me the truth." Snow watched Lilith stiffen, her back and shoulders going tense underneath the black covering them. Without a word, the younger woman sent Snow and unreadable, burning look before she stalked towards the wardrobe._

_"While I know this is your castle and I can't technically do this - get the hell out of my room." Without looking from her meager collection of clothes, Lilith somehow sent Snow out of the room._

_Letting out a cry of shock, Snow turned and saw an odd smoky power forcing her from the room. Said power dissipated the moment she passed the door, which slammed shut behind her. Wide-eyed, she looked down at herself, seeing no remnants of the energy. Sighing, as she knew it was useless to even try speaking to the dark-haired sorceress at the moment, turned and headed to her own room._

_In the room Snow had just be ejected from, Lilith was on the ground. Gasping harshly for breath, she raised a hand and grasped the acorn swinging from her neck. All at once, the pain vanished and she greedily gasped in lungfuls of air. Rising shakily with her fingers still gripping the necklace, she stumbled to the bed before collapsing on it._

* * *

><p>Lily walked stiffly behind Henry, hoping he didn't notice her mood. Despite her vehement protests -which happened every year - Regina had insisted she take Henry to the Miner's Day festivities. The moment they entered the crowded carnival like area, Lily steered them towards the tent occupied by Ruby.<p>

"Lillian!" Ruby perked up, all traces of boredom evaporating. "What's up?"

Lily smiled, the expression strained, in the face of her friend's chirpiness. Nightmares had, once again, kept her up the night before, leading to a not so happy Lily at the moment.

"Hey, Rubes," she managed to greet easily as Henry looked around for a game booth. "How goes the bake sale?"

Ruby rolled her eyes, a pout forming on her lips. "Take a guess," she gestured to the small amount of leftover cakes and pies on the table before her. "Granny should be happy, but I can't leave until they're _all_ gone."

Smiling sympathetically at her friend, Lily glanced down at Henry when he tugged on her arm. One glance at his pleading gaze had her caving and both women watched as he raced towards a nearby game, hand full of money to play. They watched him for several minutes before Lily sighed.

"I'd better go watch him."

"Well, since that_ is_ what Regina pays you for." Ruby drawled with a smile, leaning forward conspiratorially. "I'll save a cheesecake and we can stay up all night watching movies." She winked at Lily, who found herself smiling despite herself.

"I'm holding you to that," she teased before heading towards Henry, who tossing rings onto the tops of glass bottles.

The moment Henry won, he let out a little cheer and, when offered a prize, he looked up at Lillian. "Which one do you want?" He asked, smiling when she blinked at him, clearly taken aback.

With a smile, she glanced at the plush toys, shrugging in response. "You pick."

With a wide smile, Henry pointed to a stuffed toy. Lily followed his finger, her blood running cold as the smile froze on her face. The small Peter Pan plushy smiled up at her when it was handed to her, mocking her silently. Shaking herself free of the memories the red-haired, green clad toy brought to her, she directed a smile at Henry's hopeful face.

"Thanks," she stuffed it into her bag as gently as possible before she offered her hand to him.

He took it and they spent the rest of the festival wandering around. When they reached the candle tent, Lily grimaced at the large amount of candles by Mary Margaret's feet. Leroy sent her a scathing glare, one she ignored easily.

"So... I'm guessing candles are a bust?" She asked quietly, wincing when Mary Margaret nodded sadly.

"Yeah..." The teacher trailed off, looking down as Leroy suddenly stalked away from the booth. Mary Margaret stared after him for several heartbeats before she took off, leaving Henry and Lily alone.

Both looked at one another before Henry shrugged and lightly tugged her with him. "Come on! They have face painting!"

However, they barely got halfway through the crowd before the festival, and all of Storybrooke, suddenly went dark. Gripping Henry tightly, Lily winced when the crowd around them began to panic.

Meanwhile, Mary Margaret and Leroy managed to return to their tent before they began to light candles, calling out for everyone to join them. When Lillian and Henry arrived at the tent, the former handing over the money, Leroy found himself avoiding her knowing, smirking stare. Taking then small, white candles, Lily handed Henry his before thanking the duo and herding him away, smiling down at him. He smiled back, a yawn interrupting the happy expression on his face.

Laughing softly, she wrapped her free arm around his shoulders and began to lead him away. "Time for bed, kid."

He didn't protest, merely rested his head against her until they made it to the edge of the crowd. Glancing back, he perked up and tugged on Lillian's arm.

"Look!"

She turned, her eyes widening when she saw the sight of thousands of candles lighting up the dark festival. Smiling faintly, Lily tightened her grip on Henry, resting her head on top of his as they gazed at the sight. A memory, a welcome one this time, hit her suddenly as her vision began to blur.

* * *

><p><em>"Where are we going?" Peter's hand tightened around hers, his fingers gently tangling with her own.<em>

_"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise." He reminded her, eying her calmly. This little outing had the potential to make or break their fledgling friendship. With a sigh, he reached out and waved his hand. A collection of weeds and dreamshade obediently moved out of their way, revealing a small hidden clearing._

_Lilith sent him a look but allowed him to pull her through the gap in the foliage, turning back when the entrance was covered again. Catching the tensing of her shoulders, Peter gently brushed his fingers across the skin of her hand. She raised her eyes to meet his gaze, the pale aqua glowing in the dim light. He smiled faintly at her, waiting until the suspicion died in her eyes before he pushed ahead._

_"It's just up here."_

_"What is?"_

_He didn't answer, continuing to lead her up the small hill before he stopped. Tugging on her hand again, her positioned her in front of him, placing his hand on her shoulders. Lilith went taut when he leaned forward, resting his chin on her shoulder. However, when he made no move to do anything else, she relaxed, though refused to lean against him._

_For several heartbeats, the only sound was the soft rush of breath as they stood there in the darkness. Then, one of his hands left her shoulder and pointed ahead of them._

_"Look."_

_Glancing back at him, she found his excited gaze fixed beyond them and followed suit. Her body went stiff at the sight of the lights before them, though she was smart enough to know the difference between fairies and pixies, it still sent a shot of anger through her. However, as the pixies began to twist and turn around each other, lighting up their dark haven, she was struck by the beauty of the place. Ever since her humanity had been returned, along with her memories, she had found it hard to not find enjoyment in things._

_Including the boy behind her._

_After watching the light show for several minutes, she slowly turned in Peter's embrace. His hands fell from her shoulders as he looked down at her, face showing none of the hesitance she could feel from him._

_"Enjoying yourself?"_

_"You do know I hate fairies, right?" She deflected sarcastically, not moving when he raised a hand to brush against her jaw._

_Even though he knew she hated being touched, Peter gently brushed his fingertips against the velvety softness of her cheek. As always, her expression was guarded and cautious as she stared at him, her gaze unblinking and challenging. Despite the bravado, being this close allowed him to see the growing terror in her eyes. _

_Lilith went stiffer with every feather-light touch. Holding back the desire to back away, to show anymore weakness, battled with the terrifying urge to press herself against his hand and welcome what she'd denied herself all these years. The moment his hand fell away, from her cheek, she reached up and pressed against his bony sternum, desperate to get some distance between them.  
><em>

_However, eh was having none of it and refused to be budged. His hand rose again, this time gently brushing her thick hair away from her face before he let it follow the line of her hair. Even as he touched her, pale aqua eyes flashed up at him in defiance, though he wasn't intimidated by her. He never had been._

_As he drew closer to her, watching as her eyes seemed to lighten and become hooded with desire, he felt the unmistakable rush of electricity fill him. When her lips parted invitingly, he knew she felt it too as fire began to rush through his blood. They stared at one another, breathless as the tension built before Peter chanced whispering her name._

_"Lilith..."_

_To his surprise, her hand reached out to gently snag the collar of his tunic. She jerked his head towards her, their breaths mingling as their heated gazes clashed violently._

_"Lily." Was all she managed to breath out before their lips finally crashed together, drawn by the pull of desires repressed for so long._

_And in that moment, both knew they'd passed the point of no return._

* * *

><p>Lily tugged Henry away from the sight before them, smiling down at him before they began to head down the street from the festival. Both stopped at the sight of Mary Margaret in the street, clearly watching the sight of David being escorted by Emma into the police car with the same shock the other two felt.<p>

"Mary Margaret," Lily and Henry stopped, watching as the dark-haired teacher clutched her candle to her chest. Worry washed over all of them, especially when the two elder of the trio realized that Kathryn had been missing for over twenty-four hours.

Hours later, as Lily settled in for the night, she reached into her bag. Drawing out the Peter Pan plushy Henry had gifted to her, she stared at it for several seconds before hugging it to her chest. Tears of frustration and rage burned behind her tightly closed eyelids, tears she refused to let fall. She fell back onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling as the stuffed toy innocently rested on her stomach.

Outside the window, a yellow-eyed Shadow watched her until the blinds were drawn and the light went out before it turned. Flying away from Storybrooke and the girl, knowing its master would not be pleased that Tiger Lily was in tears because of him once again.

* * *

><p><strong>Thoughts? Comments? Questions?<br>**


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